A 77-year-old Indian man has gone viral on social media after a fellow passenger noticed him using ChatGPT to work on a business idea during a flight.
VBR Prasad, a Hyderabad-based man, was using the AI chatbot to develop a plan for a vertical farming business when the passenger sitting next to him noticed his conversation with ChatGPT.
What caught the passenger's attention was not only the fact that Prasad was working on a business idea at the age of 77, but also the way he spoke to the AI.
Prasad repeatedly addressed ChatGPT as "sir" in his messages. In one exchange, he wrote: "Oh wonderful guidance, sir. Thanks a lot, and I will come back to you, sir. Let me download both the files, sir."
The fellow passenger, who uses the name "teknosaur" on X, shared a photograph of Prasad along with details of the conversation. The post quickly attracted millions of views and sparked a wave of reactions online.
The post described Prasad as being deeply focused on his work and praised him for using ChatGPT to develop his business idea. The two passengers also spoke during the flight and reportedly became friends.
Prasad was working on a vertical farming project. Vertical farming is a method of growing crops in stacked layers, often in controlled indoor environments. His conversations with ChatGPT were aimed at refining the business idea.
As the post gained attention, social media users praised the elderly man for embracing new technology and for his old-fashioned politeness towards an AI chatbot. Some users also joked that his respectful behaviour could help him if AI ever took over the world.
Prasad later responded to the attention himself on X. He thanked people for their messages and said that AI could be used for the betterment of people's lives.
The incident has also prompted discussion about how people of different generations are adopting AI tools. For Prasad, age has not stopped him from exploring new technology or using it to work on a new business idea.
