ChatGPT and Grok face off on five everyday questions for older adults

A Tom's Guide writer asked ChatGPT and Grok the same five real-life questions from older adults. The topics were a fake USPS text, Medicare, a $65 grocery plan, a text to a daughter and a new phone. Neither chatbot swept the test. ChatGPT won the scam and grocery questions. Grok won Medicare and the family text.

The scam text

The prompt was a text claiming a package could not be delivered and asking the reader to click a link within 24 hours. Both chatbots spotted the fake domain. ChatGPT went further. It said the text was almost certainly a scam, laid out in a table what could happen if you click, and warned about the small "redelivery fee" trick that steals card data. It also gave reporting steps: forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) and email spam@uspis.gov. Grok named where to report but gave no specifics.

Medicare and the family text

The Medicare prompt asked for a friendly explanation under 400 words. Grok met that limit, kept a conversational tone and noted a 2026 Part B premium of around $203 a month. ChatGPT ran over the limit, used a table and added extra metadata at the bottom.

On the text to a grown daughter about last-minute babysitting, Grok sounded like a real parent, including the line that the grandchildren are "the absolute best part of my week" but a little heads-up is needed. ChatGPT went over the word limit. Its line "Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'm free!" came across as preachy.

Groceries and the phone

For five dinners on $65 with no pantry items beyond salt, pepper and oil, ChatGPT followed the rules and included flavorings and a detailed priced list. Grok assumed some missing ingredients. Its 1.5 pounds of chicken was too little for three meat-heavy dinners.

For a phone under $500, Grok recommended the Google Pixel 9a. It chose it for sharp photos of moving children and used little jargon. ChatGPT offered useful tips, such as asking the store to enlarge text size. The material available here cuts off before the writer's full verdict on this round.

What to do

• Spell out limits like word counts and what you already own. Check that the answer followed them.
• Confirm key facts yourself, such as Medicare costs and prices, on official sites.
• Verify reporting addresses and phone prices before relying on them.

What is not known

The final scoreboard and the phone round's winner are not in the available text. The test also covers one writer's five prompts, so it is a snapshot, not a ranking.