89-year-old Japanese uses ChatGPT to improve 11 free iPhone apps that he created after retirement
Japanese 89-year-old Tomiji Suzuki started coding in retirement and is now making apps for the fast-growing elderly demographic, using ChatGPT to fine-tune his skills.
So far Suzuki has developed 11 free iPhone apps to help Japan's ageing population, including his latest: a slideshow of items to remember when leaving the house, from a wallet and hearing aids to patient registration cards.
He was inspired to create the app, which features his granddaughter's voice, after he realised he had forgotten his dentures as he was about to board a bullet train.
"These kinds of things happen to the elderly," he laughed, telling AFP that his age has been an advantage when coming up with ideas for the programmes.
"No matter how hard they try, I don't think younger people understand the elderly's needs and expectations," he said.
Nearly a third of Japan's population is aged 65 and above, making it the world's oldest country after tiny Monaco, and one in 10 people are octogenarians.
As in other developed economies, the plummeting birth rate has raised fears of a looming demographic crisis with not enough workers to support the growing ranks of retired.
Suzuki used to work at a trading house but developed an interest in computing in later life, taking a programming course in the early 2010s.
"I like creating things," he said.
"When I discovered I could develop apps myself -- and if I do, Apple will market them worldwide, just like that -- it felt like a great idea."
To help him make the app "Outing Prep Voice Slide Show", released in April, Suzuki asked around 1,000 coding-related questions to ChatGPT.
He described the generative AI chatbot as a "great teacher" and has even published a book about using it as a programming mentor.
"I'm lucky... If I'd passed away a year, or two years ago, I wouldn't have encountered (ChatGPT)," he said.
Suzuki said his old job exporting cars to Southeast Asia and other regions had helped him ask it the right questions.
"In my younger days, trading houses used
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