Ciutadella teaches AI and digital banking to over-55s: the digital divide closes in the classroom, not in the model

By La Razón · 25 October 2026.

Ciutadella (Menorca) will host a new edition of the Digital Life Course starting 10 November, a free training programme for people over 55. It is part of the Grans Actius programme, promoted by the Balearic regional government (Govern), La Razón reports.

Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 16.00 to 19.00, on the second floor of the Casa de Cultura. No prior knowledge is required. Registration for the 2026/27 edition is open on the programme's website or by phone at 971 07 37 00.

The syllabus covers using a mobile phone, browsing the internet and completing procedures online. It also includes precautions for shopping online and using digital banking safely, digital communication, leisure and health-related tools. There will be sessions on artificial intelligence and its everyday applications. Groups are adapted to each student's level and support trainers are available. The materials were developed by teachers and researchers from the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). The edition is funded by the Govern and, in Mallorca, also by the Consell de Mallorca.

The report gives no figures on places available or on participants in previous editions. We therefore cannot assess its real reach, and it is best not to overestimate it.

Our take: AI is almost always discussed in terms of models, benchmarks and jobs, but its social impact depends on who can use it with sound judgement. If part of the population is left out, the digital divide becomes an opportunity divide. And in the short term, a security divide too: those who are not comfortable with online banking are more vulnerable to fraud. As industry context, the automation of fraud with AI agents is a near-term risk, and courses that teach precautions alongside the tools are taking the right approach.

There is also a long-term reading. If AI ends up delivering advances in health and abundance, those benefits will only be universal if people of all ages can access them. An assistant that helps manage paperwork, medical appointments or medication is worth a great deal to an older person living alone, but only if they know how to use it and trust it with due caution.

The limitation is obvious: a three-hour course two days a week will not change a system on its own. Even so, public digital literacy policy is a cheap investment compared with the cost of exclusion. What should be demanded is evaluation: how many people complete the training and whether they then actually use these services independently.