Can AI Be Your Coach?

AI has become part of everyday life for many of us. I use it too. I find it particularly helpful when researching a topic, developing an idea, or exploring different perspectives.

But can AI also coach an executive?

As it turns out, it can do much more than we might expect. It can ask thoughtful questions, summarize what you say, and help you explore an issue from different angles. And it’s available whenever you need it.

Research is beginning to demonstrate this potential. A study published in 2025 found that an AI coaching tool was capable of demonstrating many of the competencies associated with professional coaching.

However, another study conducted that same year with 63 employees found that participants who worked with a human coach rated their experiences more positively in areas such as trust, the coaching relationship, gaining new insights, and goal attainment.

These studies are still limited in scope, and AI is evolving rapidly. It would be difficult to predict what it may be capable of tomorrow based on what it can or cannot do today.

There’s Something Different About Talking to Another Person

Sometimes, it’s only when we begin talking about something that we realize what we actually think. At other times, a question from someone sitting across from us brings a thought to the surface that we haven’t considered in a long time.

When we talk to another person, we communicate through more than words. Changes in our voice, moments of hesitation, and even silence become part of the conversation.

This interaction is something I deeply value in coaching.

Knowing that someone is genuinely listening to you, feeling that your words have been heard and understood. Sometimes it’s an observation, an unexpected question, or simply a moment of shared silence.

These moments can take our thinking somewhere new.

Research also suggests that the quality of the relationship between a coach and a client is associated with coaching outcomes.

Why Not Benefit from Both?

AI can be a valuable thinking partner for executives. You might turn to it when preparing for an important meeting, exploring your options, or organizing your thoughts.

Working with a human coach offers a different experience. It creates space to explore what matters to you within a relationship built on trust.

I believe these two forms of support can complement each other.

As technology evolves, the tools we use to think and reflect will continue to change. Yet I believe there will always be something valuable about having a genuine conversation with another person, about feeling heard and understood.

Perhaps one of the most valuable skills we can develop in the years ahead will be knowing when to turn to technology and when we need a conversation with another human being.

Related page: Executive coaching