89-Year-Old Japanese Developer Creates Apps for Seniors, Guided by ChatGPT
In his retirement, 89-year-old Tomiji Suzuki from Japan discovered a passion for coding, crafting apps tailored for the elderly with the help of ChatGPT.
Suzuki has developed 11 free iPhone apps aimed at assisting Japan’s aging population. His latest creation is a slideshow app reminding users to bring essential items like wallets, hearing aids, and registration cards when leaving the house. This idea was sparked when he forgot his dentures before boarding a bullet train, leading him to realize the unique challenges faced by the elderly. Featuring his granddaughter’s voice, the app aims to provide gentle reminders for daily essentials.
Suzuki believes his age gives him a distinct advantage in understanding the needs of his demographic. “Younger people might not fully grasp the elderly’s needs,” he said, highlighting the importance of lived experience in app development.
With nearly a third of its population aged 65 and above, Japan is grappling with the implications of an aging society. The country’s low birth rate further exacerbates concerns about future workforce sustainability and support for the growing elderly population.
Suzuki’s journey into app development began after retiring from a career in a trading house. He took up programming in the early 2010s, driven by his love for creating. “When I realized I could develop apps and have Apple market them globally, it felt like a brilliant opportunity,” he explained. To aid in his app development, particularly for the “Outing Prep Voice Slide Show” released in April, Suzuki utilized ChatGPT extensively, posing around 1,000 coding-related questions. He praises the AI chatbot as a “great teacher” and has authored a book on using it as a programming mentor. Reflecting on his fortune in discovering ChatGPT, he remarked, “If I had passed away a year or two years ago, I wouldn’t have encountered it.”
Suzuki’s past experience in exporting cars equipped him with the skills to ask precise questions, a technique reminiscent of his earlier days using telegrams for clear and concise communication.
One of Suzuki’s most popular apps is “Pee Count Record,” which garners 30 downloads each week without any marketing efforts. Inspired by his hernia surgery experience, where he had difficulty remembering his daily urine count post-operation, he developed this app to help others track their urinary frequency.
Suzuki’s older brother, Kinji, 92, also benefits from these apps, including “Voice Input Assist,” which simplifies typing for the elderly by using voice recognition for sending emails.
Etsunobu Onuki, 75, who runs a hearing aid shop in Tokyo and is one of Suzuki’s customers, regularly uses Suzuki’s “A-I-U-Be Exercise” app for mouth muscle strengthening. Onuki is particularly fond of the slideshow app, which helps him remember to bring his house key when leaving the shop. He recommends the app to his customers, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s and frequently forget their registration cards.
Suzuki is an active member of the Senior Programming Network (SPN), a national group that supports elderly programmers. SPN’s founder, Katsushiro Koizumi, 51, believes there is strong synergy between seniors and AI. He encourages members to integrate generative AI tools into their apps, facilitating easier interaction for elderly users who may struggle with small screen controls.
Suzuki advocates for the potential joy in discovering app development in retirement. “Once you delve into this world, you’ll find it’s a lot of fun,” he shared, encouraging other retirees to explore programming as a new hobby.