A one-hour talk for senior communities
AI-powered fraud is the fastest-growing threat to older adults. This talk explains what's happening — and what to do about it — with clarity, live demonstrations, and no fear-mongering.
Projected AI-enabled fraud losses by 2027
Of audio needed to clone a person's voice
Of voice-clone scam targets report financial losses
About the Talk
AI has given scammers an arsenal of new weapons — voice cloning, deepfakes, hyper-personalized phishing. Seniors are the primary target, not because they're naive, but because they're wealthy, trusting, and reachable.
This one-hour class cuts through the noise. Participants leave understanding exactly how these scams work, why they're so effective, and what concrete steps they can take to protect themselves and the people they love. Live demonstrations make the threat visceral and comprehensible, and the tone is never alarmist — it's empowering.
Delivered by Sam Stern, AI educator at Esalen Institute and workshop leader in human empowerment in the age of AI.
What Participants Learn
A live demonstration of how a voice can be replicated from just seconds of audio — a voicemail, a social media clip, a birthday video.
A real video of a grandmother who received a call from her "daughter" in distress — and how the fraud was constructed.
How AI generates convincing video of real people saying things they never said — and what the telltale signs are.
The behavioral and financial profile that makes older adults disproportionately valuable — and how to reframe that as information, not shame.
A simple, elegant defense against AI voice scams that any family can implement in minutes.
Reporting resources, emotional recovery, and why talking about it — not staying silent — is the most protective thing you can do.
"Humanity is entering a new era and we will be navigating relationships with AI together. Sam is a wonderful guide and I left his class feeling inspired."
— Erica Hartnick, Founder of Yoga Trade
Book This Talk
Sam is available to bring this talk to senior centers, libraries, retirement communities, and civic organizations throughout the region. The format is flexible — a single one-hour session, or as part of a broader AI literacy series.
To inquire about availability, pricing, and scheduling, reach out directly:
sam.stern@esalen.org →