Supporting women 50+ navigating visibility, work, identity and reinvention.

AI for women 50+

AI That Ignores Women 50+ Is Leaving Money on the Table

5. Generation Jones & Reinvention4 Comments

Introduction In my last blog article, I introduced Claudia: she is 54, tech-savvy, and pragmatic. She owns two smartphones, a smartwatch, and three laptops, and even jokingly refers to ChatGPT as “that intern I didn’t hire but who keeps showing up anyway”. She’s not an anomaly. In fact, she might be my long-lost twin, separated at birth. Well, not really, since I am a bit older… Women like us, over 50/60 are poised to be AI’s secret power users – if only today’s AI tools were actually designed with us in mind. Yet far too often, AI products and services overlook this demographic’s needs and preferences. The result? Frustration for the users and lost business opportunities for companies. Ignoring women 50+ isn’t just a design flaw; it’s a costly mistake that’s leaving real money on the table. In this article, I will elaborate on some issues. There is another big market segment, not yet fully discovered by smart marketers: The Longevity Economy. Tip to those marketers: involve people in your target age group – else you will fail… Women 50+ Hold the Purse Strings Women over 50 are a consumer powerhouse, driving a massive share of spending across healthcare, finance, travel, and more. Here’s the deal with women over 50: we are basically the boss-level players of the consumer world. In the US alone, women control a whopping 27% of all spending – that’s about $15 trillion – and Forbes calls them “super consumers.” These aren’t your average shoppers; they’re the healthiest, wealthiest, most active crowd ever, with a combined net worth of around $19 trillion. Even more: we are the queens of healthcare, finance, travel, and wellness spending, especially in Europe and North America, and guess what? These are precisely the areas, where AI plays an important role. But here’s the kicker: businesses are still stuck in “ignore mode,” tossing a mere 5–10% of their marketing budgets at this powerhouse group. No wonder, 91% of Boomer women feel like ads are speaking a foreign language. Or make us cringe. Tech folks? Still designing AI like their users are fresh out of college. Meanwhile, women like Claudia (and I) have been riding tech waves since typewriters but won’t tolerate gimmicks – we want AI that really helps. So, in healthcare, finance, and retail/travel, missing out on “older women” (yep, this hurts…) isn’t just rude, it’s bad business – lost money and loyalty right there. Time to wake up and give us, the super consumers, the spotlight we deserve! Healthcare & Wellness: Overlooking Key Users Women 50+ as Health Decision-Makers Women 50+ are heavyweights in healthcare – as patients, caregivers, and decision-makers. Since this is an area, where I spent the last 10 years, since leaving the corporate world, it is close to my heart. In the U.S., women make 80% of healthcare decisions for their families, and older women themselves utilize healthcare services extensively as they manage chronic conditions, and age-related needs. They also spend billions on wellness products and services. One might expect AI in health tech to prioritize this demographic. In my view, this is one area, where I see tremendous growth, just considering the demographic development. Less young people to take care of older family members…. But today, many digital health tools and AI-driven services still default to a one-size-fits-all young male model, leaving older women frustrated and underserved. We have zero tolerance for clunky interfaces or chatbot “solutions” that talk like robots and act like toddlers. Real-World Risks and Market Gaps The stakes in healthcare are high. Poorly designed AI not only alienates a key user base, but it can also literally be dangerous. For example, due to historical bias in medical research, women are 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed during a heart attack. An AI symptom-checker or diagnostic tool trained mostly on young male data might easily miss female-specific presentations of disease. That’s a life-threatening gap and a market gap – an AI that fails to account for older women’s physiology and health concerns will simply not be trusted by them (rightly so). On the wellness side, an AI fitness coach that doesn’t consider menopausal women’s needs, is useless. Or take a mental health chatbot that can’t show empathy for someone caring for an ageing parent – it will probably fail to engage much of its target demographic. How to Fix It – and Why It Pays Off From a business perspective, health and wellness companies that ignore women in our age group are forfeiting loyalty and revenue. My generation is willing to spend on solutions that work – whether it’s a smart wearable that monitors heart health or a tailored digital coaching program for stress management. But if my telehealth chatbot can’t recognize when it’s time to hand off to a human doctor, I might get more serious problems. If my health app’s font is so tiny that I require a magnifying glass to read it, I will certainly not use it that often. You’ll lose us to a competitor who does cater to us. Inclusivity in AI design isn’t just about ethics or compliance; it directly impacts the bottom line. The companies that win in this space will be those who co-create with older women, ensuring the technology truly supports our health priorities. As one set of experts advised, it’s critical to build AI systems that augment human interaction (not cut it off) and provide clear pathways to real caregivers when needed. In short: design your health AI for Claudia’s needs now, and you gain a loyal customer for years to come. Finance & Fintech: Ignoring the Wealth Holders A Rising Financial Power When it comes to money, women over 50 are not just a niche market – we are about to become the new financial power centre. Thanks to career gains and a massive wealth transfer from the Boomer generation, women in the U.S. are expected to control $34 trillion in financial assets by 2030, up from just…

Why AI Development Needs to Prioritize Women 50+

5. Generation Jones & Reinvention5 Comments

Let’s be blunt: if you’re a woman over 50, you’ve likely been overlooked more times than you can count – in advertising, in healthcare, and now, in the brave new world of artificial intelligence. But this isn’t just another gripe about being ignored or even insulted. This is about health, wellbeing, and the disturbing fact that the most powerful tools shaping the future of medicine might not even know you exist. Welcome to the strange new frontier where data rules and women 50+ barely register. This was the original title image AI generated when using this prompt: Woman 60-plus, mahogany coloured hair, very short pixie cut, dressed in casual golden-yellow sweatshirt. She is standing in front of a huge widescreen, in a high-tech AI environment. It seems AI doesn’t really know what women aged 50 or 60 and above look like – I always get images of rather young, very slim women, but with hairstyles typical of older people. The Invisible Demographic Women over 50 are not a niche market – they’re a demographic powerhouse. And yet, in the world of medical research and tech development, we’re still treated like a rounding error. The Historical Exclusion “If you look at the history of medical research, women were routinely excluded from clinical trials until the early 1990s,” says Dr. Elena Rodriguez, an expert in women’s health. Why? Because hormones made things “too complicated.” So instead, researchers just studied men – and pretended women’s bodies worked the same way. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.) The result? A knowledge gap so big, you could drive a tour bus full of menopausal women through it. And while the NIH began requiring the inclusion of women in 1993, the damage was done. Especially for older women, who are still vastly underrepresented. A 2023 analysis in The Lancet indicated that women over 50 made up just 12% of clinical trial participants – despite representing nearly 20% of the population in developed countries. That’s not a small oversight. That’s systemic invisibility. By the way, this isn’t just a thing in medical research – Social Sciences have their quirks too. When I finished my first doctorate, my supervisor pointed out that most user interface studies rely on white male students. He was actually relieved we didn’t have to use rodents – because he was worried to get way too attached to those little critters. Digital Ageism: A New Twist on an Old Problem Just when we thought we were catching up, along came AI. And with it, a fresh version of the same old bias. Enter digital ageism – a fancy term for what happens when tech is built by and for younger people. “It appears in assumptions about older adults’ capabilities, in designs that ignore vision or dexterity changes, and most importantly, in the data used to train AI systems,” explains Dr. Maya Patel, a technology ethicist. The numbers are shocking: a 2024 study in “npj Digital Medicine” reviewed 78 healthcare AI systems and found that adults over 65 were underrepresented in 83% of the datasets. And women over 50? Represented in fewer than 5% of them. Double Trouble: Gender Bias + Age Bias “When we talk about bias in AI, we often discuss gender and age separately,” says AI researcher Dr. James Wilson. “But for women over 50, these biases compound – making them essentially invisible to AI.” A 2023 study in JAMA Internal Medicine backs him up: AI diagnostic tools performed worse for postmenopausal women than for any other group. Why? Lack of representation in training data. “It’s a classic case of ‘you can’t be what you can’t see,’” adds Dr. Rodriguez. Bias in, Bias out: How AI Can Worsen the Problem You’ve heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out”? That’s AI 101. If flawed data goes into the system, the AI just learns those flaws by heart. “AI systems learn from historical data,” says Dr. Wilson. “If that data includes the underdiagnoses of heart disease in women or dismissals of menopausal symptoms, those mistakes get baked in.” Real-Life Consequences “These are real systems, affecting real women, right now,” says Dr. Franz (yes, this is me, in one older article). AI Can Create a Vicious Cycle “If an AI system misdiagnoses women over 50, it can lead to worse care,” warns Dr. Sarah Chen. That leads to poorer outcomes, which produces more biased data – and the cycle continues. “It’s a digital version of the Matthew effect – the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,” explains health equity researcher Dr. Sarah Chen. “In this case, groups that historically received better healthcare continue to do so, while those who were marginalized become further marginalized through algorithmic reinforcement.” Why This Demographic Is So Unique (and So Ignored) AI’s blind spot for women 50+ isn’t just unjust – it’s dangerous. Because our bodies are changing in ways that younger researchers (and algorithms) don’t fully grasp. Menopause and Beyond “Menopause isn’t just hot flashes,” says endocrinologist Dr. Rebecca Martinez. It affects bone density, metabolism, immune response, brain chemistry, and more. Cardiovascular risk goes up, but symptoms look different from those in men. If AI systems don’t account for this? Misdiagnoses happen. Multiple Conditions, Interacting in Complex Ways Women over 50 are often juggling several health issues at once: osteoporosis, heart disease, autoimmune disorders. “These don’t exist in isolation,” says Dr. Franz. “AI needs to recognize how they interact – but it can’t if the data’s missing.” We Present Differently Women’s heart attacks frequently show up as back pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath – not the textbook chest-clutching you see on TV. If AI hasn’t been trained on these patterns, it’ll miss them. In one of my blog articles I describe the story of my late sister-in-law, who passed away from complications after a heart attack. We React to Meds Differently As Dr. Lisa Murray points out, “Pharmacokinetics change with age and menopause.” That means AI needs to understand how medications behave differently in our bodies. Currently,…

Reframing Life for Women After 50: A Time to Shine

Reframing Life for Women After 50: A Time to Shine

5. Generation Jones & Reinvention3 Comments

Let’s get straight to it: No, your best years are NOT behind you. They weren’t in your 20s when you were busy figuring out how to adult (I was interrupted and haven’t completely figured it out. But that’s okay). They weren’t in your 30s when you were juggling work, life, and the occasional existential crisis. And they were definitely not in your 40s when perimenopause crept in like an uninvited guest. At that time, I was tackling my second doctorate and convinced that living, having fun, and enjoying life could wait until retirement – because, you know, productivity first. (Spoiler alert: it was not a good plan, as many people of Generation Jones have discovered.) If you’re 50+, you’re in the prime of your life. You’ve got experience, resilience, and (let’s be honest) an unbeatable BS detector. You don’t have time for drama, diets that don’t work, or unsolicited advice from 30-year-old “life coaches” who think burnout is a personality trait. And, let’s be real, you’re also starting to compromise, lower unnecessary standards, and let go of perfectionism (I’m still working on that one). So, let’s debunk the midlife myth and talk about why this stage of life is your time to shine. 1. The Midlife Myth: Why It’s Time to Reframe Ageing Let’s face it: Society has done a terrible job of portraying women in midlife. Workplace bias is a considerable topic for most women 50plus. Instead of celebrating wisdom and opportunity, we get sold a depressing narrative: 🔹 Fade into the background🔹 Wear beige (or black)🔹 Prepare for a future of anti-wrinkle creams, elastic waistbands, and orthopaedic shoes And don’t even get me started on marketing. Ads for “age-defying” products star models barely out of their teens. (Seriously, how is a 16-year-old selling authenticity to a woman redefining her identity at 50?) I’ve noticed more mature women appearing in ads lately, but let’s be honest – many of them are professional models with fantastic genes and barely a hint of ageing. And when they do show wrinkles? The images are filtered so much they could pass for a CGI movie. Reality check: Midlife is not a decline – it’s a milestone. It’s a time to rethink life choices and focus on what truly matters. Think about it: You’re likely only halfway through life. You’ve still got decades ahead, and now you truly know yourself. ✔ You no longer care about impressing the wrong people.✔ You’ve learned that “no” is a full sentence (and an act of self-care).✔ You know exactly what (and who) deserves your energy. Yes, midlife is a crisis – but in a positive way: “A crisis is useful when it causes you to go beyond familiar coping skills (both internal and external) and to develop new ones, therefore becoming more competent and autonomous.” Of course, this journey is easier when you take care of yourself – avoiding habits like crash diets, poor sleep, or worse, cigarettes and too much alcohol. But even with a few signs of wear and tear, midlife is not the end. Think of yourself as a vintage car – with the right TLC, you’ll run better than ever and you are special. 2. Health is Your Superpower: Investing in Your Body and Mind Now, let’s talk health – because this is what determines how good your next few decades will be. And no, this doesn’t mean surviving on kale and marathons (unless that’s your thing – then more power to you). Your health in midlife comes down to three key pillars: Strength Training Over Starvation Forget the scale. Focus on building muscle – it’s your best insurance policy after 50. It boosts metabolism, strengthens bones, and – bonus – keeps everything perky (yes, that too). 💡 Do this: Lift weights, do resistance training, or just carry your shopping bags like they’re part of an Olympic event. (Check out my previous blog article on body composition, metabolism, and the expanding waistline dilemma.) Food as Fuel, Not a Frenemy Menopause messes with hormones – but crash dieting makes it worse. Instead of starving yourself, focus on protein, fibre, and healthy fats. 💡 Do this: Instead of “eating less,” eat smarter. And yes, chocolate still belongs in your diet – just don’t let it become a food group. (Also, let me help you debunk some nutrition myths – because, honestly, there’s a lot of nonsense out there.) Stress Less, Sleep More Midlife stress turns you into a walking cortisol factory – and guess what cortisol loves? Storing belly fat. Sleep deprivation makes it worse. 💡 Do this: Protect your peace like it’s a VIP pass to your best years. Prioritize rest, boundaries, and saying NO. (Check out my blog article on how menopause affects sleep, stress, and mental well-being. Or this article, where you learn which pragmatic steps you should take right away.) 3. Reinventing Yourself: Career, Passion Projects, and Bold Moves Who said career reinvention was just for 20-somethings? Not us. At 50+, you have decades of expertise – and that makes you valuable AF. This is the perfect time to: ✔ Pivot into consulting or freelancing✔ Launch a business you actually care about✔ Switch to a career that excites you✔ Use AI to work smarter, not harder (seriously, let AI do the boring stuff) And if your current job doesn’t appreciate your skills and experience?📌 Know your worth – someone else will. (Check out my blog post on Ageism in the Workplace. And do not underestimate your value as a customer.) 4. Confidence, Style, and Feeling Fabulous in Your Own Skin Here’s the deal: You’re still hot. The only thing that’s changed is society’s outdated beauty standards – which, frankly, are BS. Somewhere along the line, someone decided that youth = beauty, and ageing = fading into the background. Spoiler: They were mistaken. Confidence isn’t about looking 25 again – it’s about owning who you are today. The best accessory? A woman who knows her worth. 💡 Practical Confidence Boosters:✔ Dress…

Ageism Menopause Workplace Bias

Ageism, Menopause, and Workplace Bias @50plus

5. Generation Jones & Reinvention5 Comments

Introduction Welcome to my world—where science meets humour, chaos meets structure, and experience meets an insatiable curiosity for what’s next. I’m Dr. Heike Franz: nutritionist, business whiz, and lifelong learner with two doctorates, an MBA, and an unofficial degree in surviving corporate nonsense. I’ve managed multibllion-dollar projects, untangled financial disasters (yes, including the infamous shoebox accounting system in Beijing), and spent years helping women 50+ regain their health, confidence, and sanity. I’ve lived through the reality of menopause, debunked more nutrition myths than I can count, and embraced technology, including AI, as a way to work smarter, not harder. Oh, and did I mention I share my home with a magnificent Great Dane who believes he owns my office? And who is much smarter than some CEOs I have met. So, if you’re here because: ✔ You’re fed up with being underestimated at work, but don’t have the energy to discuss with supervisors, who are younger than your kids..✔ You’re navigating the delightful (cough) surprises of menopause while still trying to keep up with a fast-paced workplace.✔ You’re tired of 30-year-olds explaining technology to you as if you were raised by candlelight. Then, my friend, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it. But before we dive in, I must admit that my body is showing signs of wear and tear. I have to pay more attention, eat well (yes, my pet peeve), get rest and enough sleep. I like to think of myself as a classic car – needing a bit more maintenance, the finest fuel, plenty of polish, and a lot of TLC to shine like a true vintage gem! Although nutrition, exercise, and stress management are not the focus of this article, I invite you to check out my courses. Your physical and mental well-being is the foundation for the next exciting phase in your life. Or read this article, where you get real-life and pragmatic tips to get started. Yes, Ageism Exists – But So Do You Let’s address the elephant in the boardroom: Ageism is real. It lurks in hiring decisions, offhand remarks about “fresh energy,” and the quiet assumption that we can’t possibly get new technologies. It is common practise to not even read your application, when you are above a certain age. The algorithm doesn’t recognize that you might tick each and every box, exceed requirements, and are ready to rock ’n roll for the next decade. What these assumptions fail to acknowledge is that we are the women who built businesses, led teams, and survived workplaces before “wellness initiatives” and bean bag chairs became a thing. Our strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and sheer grit are irreplaceable. 💡 Power move: Flip the script. The next time someone praises a “young, fresh perspective,” respond with, “Absolutely! And when you pair that with my decades of experience, you’ve got an unbeatable team.” Menopause at Work: It’s Not a Dirty Word Ah, menopause. That delightful phase where your body decides to keep things exciting – one minute you’re freezing, the next you’re melting like a human candle. And let’s not forget the brain fog that turns the word spreadsheet into a game of mental hide-and-seek. Yet, in most workplaces, menopause is still a taboo topic. If men had hot flashes, we’d have corporate-funded “Cooling Stations” and mandatory siestas. Since that’s not the case, it’s up to us to normalize the conversation. I’m sure other cultures might see things differently. During my time in Beijing, I had the pleasure of working with Helena, a highly qualified Chinese woman who was going through menopause at that time. Picture this: in the middle of a presentation to Senior Executives, Helena’s face turned as red as a traffic light – she was having a hot flash. We were already over our time, so I suggested a quick break to let her cool off. But Helena, ever the trooper, declared, “Nope, I’m taking questions now. And as you can see, gentlemen, I’m ready to spit fire. So don’t even think about feeding me any nonsense!” Yes, during menopause, our hormones go through quite the transformation, with estrogen – the hormone that turns us into the ultimate caregivers—taking a nosedive. While younger women might be busy playing “office mum,” looking out for everyone’s wellbeing, those of us in menopause are happily handing over the apron. So gentlemen, it’s time to step up and master the art of making your own coffee. Welcome to adulthood! 💡 Power move: If someone comments on your personal desk fan running in the middle of winter, simply say, “Oh, that’s my advanced climate control system.” Own it, with zero shame. And make sure you pay attention to your body. Get rest, get enough sleep and forget that nonsense of working 18 hour-days. AI: Your New Best Friend (No, Really, It’s Not That Scary) Some people assume we don’t do technology. The truth? We just don’t waste time downloading every app a 25-year-old raves about on TikTok. We embrace tools that actually make life easier – like AI. I am using AI extensively and would love to delegate some tasks completely – but we are not yet there. AI is doing a good job, most of the time (I am ALWAYS checking whether he/she/it is again hallucinating, as if on magic mushrooms), but I am adding the cherry on top of the cake. Imagine: 💡 Power move: Next time a younger colleague offers to “walk you through” the latest tech update, say, “Actually, I was just reading about AI-driven productivity tools – what’s your take on integrating machine learning into workflow automation?” Then enjoy watching them scramble. And if you need assistance or would like to learn more about the tools I am using, just let me know. Right now, I am teaching offline courses to local companies. This can easily be brought online. Confidence is Contagious – Start Spreading It A funny thing happens when you walk into a room with confidence – people assume…