as soon as a larger player in tech gives ai coaching bots sensors (to see and hear) we will see a dramatic shift in capabilities and adoption. A software/ hardware combination in your device camera linked to the “office suite” you use makes the feature standard and overcomes adoption decisions. Current limitations are due to trying ti force a text interface to do something that was never done by text.

conversations continue with clients about AI’s impact and amongst coaches, to understand how we move from fear of being replaced by AI, to embracing AI as a resource. How does the coaching profession utilize this technology ethically and practically?

with people working later in life retirement coaching could be huge. Coaches could help clients design new paths like starting a business or volunteering. Tools like VR might even let them test these lives first.

the growing popularity of self-coaching tools. I suspect that AI-based apps will become more and more advanced “thinking partners” that can tailor-make prompts, monitor moods and thought loops, and incorporate neuroscience to nudge “day-to-day self-inquiry”. Human coaches will endure and move toward more of a supervision role for these self-coaching experiences, to help ensure clients are aware of and staying on track with their deeper goals.

I am curious about how coaching, empowered by emerging technologies, can foster a new digital democracy — one that respects minorities, enables more direct participation, and supports more distributed decision-making.