Inspiration
A simple computer task can feel overwhelming when you don’t know which button to click or what might happen if you click the wrong one. For older adults and people who struggle with basic computer use, sending an email can mean calling a family member, giving up, or making a mistake. We were inspired by seeing the struggles our grandparents go through when trying to send a text, an email, or buy something online.
We created Grandson AI to provide patient, personalized help whenever someone needs it. Our goal is to help people finish tasks while building the confidence to use their computers more independently.
We conducted market research and found the following facts: Our design draws on three research findings. Pew Research Center’s 2025 data shows that 90% of U.S. adults ages 65+ use the internet, although internet use does not measure computer proficiency. A 2023 study of 16 older adults over 40 days found that participants appreciated visual output while preferring speech over touch input, informing our combination of voice interaction and on-screen guidance. In a 2025 study of 28 older adults, 71% of them reported having technology difficulties sometimes, often, or always. We translated these findings into design hypotheses: highlighted controls for confusing icons, one-step instructions for overwhelming explanations, and approval previews for uncertainty about sending messages.
We also conducted interviews with our grandparents. To explore potential user needs, we conducted an interview with one of our grandmothers who struggles with computers. Her struggles with computers included challenges such as, “I don’t know which button to click,” “When someone explains it, they go too fast,” and “I’m scared I’ll send it to the wrong person.” These responses helped shift our product vision from an assistant that completes tasks to one that also builds confidence and understanding. We added highlighted controls, instructions delivered one step at a time, flexible Guide and Control modes, and clear approval previews before sending.
What it does
Grandson AI is a computer assistant designed around one specific mode: Guide. Users can ask for help through voice or typing and switch modes at any time.
In Guide mode, the assistant explains what to do and highlights relevant controls. One of the key things about this project is the structure we defined to enable Grandson AI to work. The process is defined by four separate sections in our project: User input, Grandson AI, Highlighting, and Validation.
User input: the user has the ability to enter either a voice prompt or a text input.
Grandson AI: the user takes the user input and the current screen, and determines the next step the user needs to take. It determines where the needed button is on the screen, and provides info to the user about what to do.
Highlighting: a highlight is shown around the needed button and info is provided to the user.
Validation: the AI determines whether the user has completed the step. When the user has successfully completed the step, the process repeats back to Grandson AI to determine if more steps are necessary or if the task has been completed. In the case where the user makes an error, the AI reevaluates and again determines the next step to take.
How we built it
We began by creating a prototype that could solve a simple problem: opening an email. Using Claude, we began building toward this initial prototype, and eventually were successful. Then we continued building on what we had to build our final demo.
Challenges we ran into
Our biggest challenge was balancing helpful automation with user control. Someone who fears making mistakes needs to understand what the assistant is doing and have an easy way to interrupt it.
We also had to account for ambiguous requests, changing interfaces, and disagreements between the assistant and reviewer. Our approach is to pause and ask a clear follow-up question when the next action is uncertain.
Tradeoffs
A second AI reviewer and approval prompts add latency and extra steps, but help users stay informed and in control. We cannot guarantee every mistake is caught, but adding a second reviewer should help protect users even more from clicking dangerous links or scams. Personalized memory makes repeated tasks easier, but creates privacy responsibilities, so we allow users to review, edit, and delete what is remembered.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re proud of developing a product that solves an issue that affects the vast majority of families in the world.
Our design combines guidance and delegation in the same experience, allowing users to choose how much help they want. We also made approval, interruption, and editable memory central to the product instead of treating them as secondary features. We’re proud of our guidance feature which will allow users to learn how to do things themselves, so they are able to use their computer faster and rely less on other people for help.
Most importantly, we established a clear direction for Grandson AI: an assistant that supports both completing a task today and becoming more confident tomorrow.
What we learned
We learned that making technology accessible involves more than simplifying buttons. People also need clear explanations, reassurance about what has happened, and control over what happens next.
We learned that screen awareness and cursor control alone are not enough to distinguish our product. Grandson AI’s opportunity is to combine those capabilities with patient guidance, personalized memory, and support for learning. Our interviews and research helped us determine which features actually benefit older users and help them learn better, such as combining options for visual and audio feedback.
What's next for Grandson AI
Our next step is to test the experience with older adults and other people who struggle with basic computer use. We want to measure whether users can complete tasks without outside help, understand what they approve, and need less assistance when repeating a task.
We also plan to improve screen understanding, reviewer reliability, voice interaction, and memory controls while keeping sensitive actions under user approval. Our product will stand out from other AIs for its guiding, personalization, friendliness, and progress bar.
Over time, Grandson AI could support people of any age who are learning unfamiliar software, as well as experienced users who want to delegate routine work. The beauty of the software is that it gives each person as much help as they need, and they stay in control the whole way.
