In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly and guest co-host Elana Marmorstein sit down with Dr. Brittne Kakulla, Senior Consumer Insights Manager at AARP, to challenge one of tech’s most persistent assumptions that older adults are left behind by technology. Drawing on more than twenty-one years of research at AARP, Brittne reframes the conversation with a stat that stops most brands in their tracks. Ninety-nine percent of adults 50 and older own at least one tech device, and ninety percent own a smartphone. Adoption is not the problem. The shift now sits in how older adults decide what technology earns a place in their lives. Brittne explains why older adults should be understood as selective, not reluctant. Their choices are shaped by lived experience and grounded questions around usefulness, privacy, trust, and fit. Technology succeeds when it supports independence, respects control over personal data, and solves real problems. The conversation moves through AgeTech, gaming, smart home devices, and wearables, with insights from CES highlighting why no single device works for everyone. Life stage, caregiving needs, household context, and cost all shape adoption. Molly and Alana also explore the rise of AI curiosity among older adults. Using a Jobs To Be Done lens, Brittne shares why simplifying complex information, especially health information, stands out as one of AI’s most meaningful use cases. The episode closes with a clear takeaway that designing technology with older adults from the start leads to better products for everyone.

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