“The Value of Artificial Intelligence Coaching Standards”

The future is here. Artificial Intelligence (AI) coaching has been constructed and are now in early deployment phases. It is likely that AI coaching will be used in conjunction with, as an adjunct to human-to-human coaching. This blended approach can provide the best of both worlds where coaches can offload low value coaching activities such as brief questions, assessment, and journaling—and keep the high value work of complex, transformational coaching in the human-to-human domain. The technology will allow coaches to find ways to move deeper into organizations such as working with managers and leaders to enhance their coaching skills, provide additional learning modalities for students and trainees, or assisting organizations in building a coaching culture. The advent of AI coaching could make coaching accessible to more people across the globe, enhancing the societal impact of coaching. As coaching becomes accessible to more people, awareness grows and potentially increases the size of the market dramatically. The development of a set of AI coaching proficiency standards may provide significant benefit to coaching consumers, knowing that the particular AI coaching technology has passed one or more levels of proficiency and ethical evaluation. The standards could test elements such as fluent use of language, fluidity of conversation, capability of promoting or enhancing change in the client, and ability to successfully navigate ethical dilemmas. Certification on the use of client and coach data may also be protected. AI coaching standards can benefit developers since they know what will be expected of them. They can understand the gamut of elements to be considered, providing a framework within which to develop. The standards can also sensitize them to the need for safeguards in aspects such as control of client and coach data, minimization of bias, synthesis and conclusions drawn from captured data, and distinctions between coaching and therapy. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has collaborated with a group of experienced coaches and AI coaching developers to form the Artificial Intelligence Coaching Standards Work Group. The group has several purposes: