Are We Underestimating the 45+ Talent in the Age of AI?

When the conversation turns to AI adoption, the spotlight often falls on younger generations. But what about professionals aged 45, 50, 60+, who bring decades of strategic insight, context, and experience?

By Arline Davis, "Artificial Intelligence Master Trainer, AITI"

🚨 The Insight That Sparked the Conversation

Recent research — Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task (arXiv, 2025) — concluded that, in the specific context of essay writing, AI use can lead to “cognitive debt” by reducing the user’s need to fully process and internalize information.

However, this finding is highly context-dependent. Other forms of AI use — especially interactive, exploratory, and cognitively demanding ones — can have the opposite effect, enhancing engagement and learning.

📈 Evidence That Digital Technology Boosts Cognitive Health

📊 Journal of Medical Internet Research: People aged 45+ who actively use the internet show a lower risk of cognitive decline. 📊 Washington Post: For individuals averaging 69 years old, active engagement with digital technology can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment by up to 58%.

While these studies focus on general digital technology rather than generative AI, they raise an important question: Could actively learning and using AI offer similar cognitive benefits?

🏢 The Untapped Advantage of Experienced Power Users

Harvard Business Review’s article How Ageism Is Undermining AI Implementation points out a missed opportunity: organizations often fail to leverage experienced power users aged 60+ — professionals who combine strategic insight, critical thinking, and deep sector knowledge.

When this expertise meets active AI use, AI adoption can accelerate dramatically.

💬 The “Challenge List” — Are We Overestimating the Barriers?

Foothold America’s blog Reskilling Older Workers for an AI Future lists six challenges for older workers:

• Technological Gap
• Perception Bias
• Job Insecurity
• Learning Curve
• Work-Life Balance
• Financial Pressures

Some of these are real in certain contexts — but are they overestimated when it comes to how well 45+ professionals can learn AI?

Speaking from my own experience: learning to use AI to increase efficiency was easier and far more engaging than learning to set up Excel. For me, AI was a natural extension of 30 years spent mastering communication skills and understanding perceptual biases.

Even from a soft-skills, non-technical background, my motivation to learn AI has been as strong — and as exciting — as my lifelong passion for understanding human dynamics.

🧠 So, I Ask You…

• Are these six challenges still the norm in your company — or outdated stereotypes?
• What strengths have you seen 45+ professionals bring to AI adoption?
• How can we design training that

I’d love to hear from both individuals and leaders on how you’re addressing — or challenging — age-related assumptions in the AI era.

About the Author

Arline Davis is a Master Trainer in NLP, Coaching, Mindfulness, and, most recently, Generative Artificial Intelligence for non-techies, with over 30 years of experience in leadership development, communication, and human performance. 
She is President of the Arline Davis Institute in both Brazil and the United States, as well as President of six international human development associations. Arline integrates behavioral science, applied neuroscience, and AI-powered tools into programs that help professionals navigate complex transitions and embrace change. 
A 60+ power user of AI, she is committed to challenging age-related biases and empowering mature professionals to thrive in the digital era.