This undated photo shows the elderly taking a short video production class at Ningxia University for the Elderly in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

　　BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Minghui, 71, took notes of the tutor's guidance with a pen, listing how to use artificial intelligence (AI) applications on her smartphone.

　　"We may be getting older, but we still want to keep up with the times," said Zhao after the class at Ningxia University for the Elderly in northwest China.

　　Zhao used to ask her children for help with her smartphone. After enrolling in the university's classes, she learned to send WeChat messages, make mobile payments, book tickets and medical appointments, and edit short videos, all on her smartphone.

　　This year, she registered for the AI course.

　　Instructor Yu Cheng recalled that roughly 60 to 70 percent of his students could not use smartphones back in 2019 when he started teaching there. Today, he rarely encounters such students.

　　"Type in a sentence, and it can generate text or pictures," said the amazed Zhao, who now uses AI for answering questions and even chatting when she feels bored.

　　Across China, universities for the elderly are offering AI, video production and drone photography courses, helping retirees handle everyday tasks more easily, keep in touch with family or simply try something new.

　　China had more than 323 million people aged 60 and above by 2025, accounting for 23 percent of its population. However, only 53.7 percent of that age group were internet users, compared with a national internet penetration rate of 80.1 percent, official figures showed.

　　Wang Weiyu, 69, is among those applying new skills for creation in eastern China's Shandong Province.