“The sad thing about artificial intelligence is that it lacks artifice and therefore intelligence.” —Jean Baudrillard
Mark’s comment on last week’s post led me to reflect on the potential impact of AI on coaching. Can AI coach? AI can certainly be supportive in a number of ways. In particular, generative AI will be able to suggest options, help you structure your thinking, maybe even flag up a blind spot or two.
So, before you send that snappy email to that colleague who’s been on your nerves, sure get AI to review it. Why not? See if it’s helpful. Don’t forget to mind the hallucinated nonsense!
But if you ask me, like courses, AI informs but does not transform. We process new information, novel experiences, fresh data through and thanks to the emotional reaction we have – or don’t have.
AI can learn about emotion but it cannot emote. It mirrors. It mimics. That’s impressive, but still, something’s missing, isn’t it?
AI has no lived experience. It does not know how messy life can feel on the inside.
For instance, AI has read and memorised about hesitation but it doesn’t know hesitation, that feeling in the pit of your stomach, that slight movement of the body, swaying with hesitation.
It is only mental: AI has no heart — though it can come across as warm and compassionate. AI has no guts either. It doesn’t know that we must often ignore our chattering, dithering minds and find instead the voice of our inner wisdom, which is when our hearts and guts whisper to us.
Talking to AI will likely keep you firmly in your mind which may not always serve you well.
Until AI wakes to consciousness and becomes AC, Artificial Consciousness, and gets to feel life, it won’t, I wager, make a truly worthy interlocutor to probe the depth and frailty of the human psyche.
When it does, I’ll finally be able to retire! 😉
Do you want to AI-proof your career? Perhaps even use AI to your advantage without losing your edge? If so, do reach out 👋🏻
Do you know someone who worries about the impact of AI on their career prospects? Reach out too and tell me about your colleague or friend or client 🙏🏻
