How to utilise AI as a mentor or coach
A couple of months ago, I hosted a webinar on Coaching vs Mentoring and it made me think about the role of AI within this area. I have since been looking into this and how you could use AI.
Before diving into how AI can serve as a mentor or coach, it's essential to understand the differences between these roles:
Mentoring
This is a long-term relationship focused on the overall development of the mentee. Mentors provide guidance, share experiences and help mentees navigate the path ahead. The relationship is often informal and evolves over time, with mentors acting as role models and sounding boards.
Coaching
This is typically a short-term engagement aimed at improving specific skills or achieving particular goals. Coaches provide structured feedback, set goals and help individuals develop strategies to overcome challenges. Coaching is more formal and performance-driven, focusing on measurable outcomes.
How AI Fits In
Upon looking into this, and speaking to people using AI, it is clear there is a place for this for many people. AI can effectively take on both mentoring and coaching roles by leveraging its capabilities in data analysis, personalisation through getting to know the mentee, and continuous learning. Here’s how:
AI can be personalised to the user and is able to analyse vast amounts of data to understand an individual's strengths, weaknesses and preferences. This allows AI to provide tailored advice and resources that align with the person's goals and needs. For example, an AI mentor could recommend specific learning materials, career paths or networking opportunities based on the mentee's interests and past experiences.
Unlike human mentors and coaches, AI is available around the clock. This ensures that individuals can access support whenever they need it, making the mentoring or coaching process more flexible and responsive. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with irregular schedules.
AI can offer unbiased feedback based on data and performance metrics. This objectivity helps individuals receive honest assessments and actionable insights without the influence of personal biases.
For organisations, and AI could simultaneously mentor or coach multiple individuals, making it a scalable solution and cost effective solution for organisations. This scalability ensures that everyone has access to high quality mentoring or coaching, regardless of the availability of human mentors or coaches.
AI systems can continuously learn and adapt based on new data and interactions. This means that the guidance and support provided by AI can evolve over time, becoming more accurate and effective. For example, an AI mentor could refine its recommendations as it learns more about the mentee's progress and changing goals.
Available Applications
Several AI-powered platforms are already making strides in the mentoring and coaching space:
AI tools like LinkedIn for Learning and Coursera use AI to recommend courses and learning paths tailored to individual career aspirations. These platforms analyse user data to suggest relevant skills and career opportunities.
AI coaches such as Duolingo for language learning and Replika for conversational practice provide personalised training programs, track progress and offer feedback to help individuals improve specific skills. These tools adapt to the learner's proficiency level and learning pace.
AI mentors like Woebot Health are using AI to provide mental health support, offering users strategies to manage stress and anxiety. Woebot engages in conversations with users to help them navigate emotional challenges and build resilience.
Tools like ChatGPT and Claude AI assist coaches in generating content for blogs, social media and marketing materials.
AI-powered CRM tools like Sybill are helping coaches manage client interactions, track progress and maintain organised records. These tools streamline administrative tasks, allowing coaches to focus more on their clients.
Reports and Stats on AI Coaching
The impact of AI in coaching is supported by various studies and reports:
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted in the next five years, highlighting the growing need for career coaching. Read this here.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that AI coaches were as effective as human coaches in helping clients achieve their goals over a 10-month period. Read this here
Note: While AI offers numerous benefits as a mentor or coach, it's important to consider ethical implications. Privacy and data security are paramount as I have discussed on this blog before and if using this for your team, transparency about how data is being used is crucial for trust.