The Rise of AI in Coaching

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A practical breakdown of how artificial intelligence is transforming coaching workflows, client relationships, and yes, even your sanity.

Coaching Meets Code (And Nope, It’s Not as Scary as It Sounds)

Imagine this: You finish up a round of client check-ins and before you’ve even sat down with your (reheated) coffee, your AI assistant’s already done the admin heavy-lifting, session notes transcribed, progress tracked, red flags flagged, and even a few personalised talking points prepped for next time.

No more post-it chaos. No more “what did they say last time?”

That’s not a futuristic fantasy. It’s what’s quietly happening in coaching practices around the world right now.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making serious waves in the coaching world. And with it comes the usual cocktail of excitement, scepticism, and an existential question or two: "Is this going to replace me?" The answer? No. AI isn’t here to take your job. It’s here to make you better at it.

Done right, AI isn’t cold. It’s clarifying. It strips away the repetitive bits, so you can show up more present, more prepared, and ironically more human. Think of it less like a robot overlord, more like the world's most punctual, detail-obsessed intern.

And the data backs this up. Coaches who adopt AI smartly report saving 60–80% of their admin time while increasing client retention and satisfaction. That’s not a gimmick, it’s a shift in how coaching value is delivered.

Let’s look at how.

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PART I: Why AI Is (Rightfully) Stirring the Pot

1. Coach Burnout Is Real

According to a 2024 ICF survey, 73% of coaches say they’re drowning in admin. Not dramatic. Just real. Between scheduling, follow-ups, session prep and data entry, it’s easy to forget what actual coaching feels like.

Sarah Chen, a leadership coach with 15 years in the game, summed it up: "I was doing three hours of admin for every hour of coaching. By the evening I was completely flatlined."

AI is now letting coaches reclaim that time and energy. Instead of choosing between scale and quality, they’re managing to have both.

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2. Client Expectations Have Levelled Up

We live in the era of Netflix recommendations and Amazon suggestions. So it’s no surprise clients now expect their coaching experience to be just as intuitive.

Executive coach Mark Rodriguez puts it this way: "If Netflix knows what they want to watch, they want to feel like I know what they need to grow."

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3. The Tech’s Finally Good Enough

Let’s face it, early AI tools were clunky. Helpful in theory, painful in practice.

But now? Tools like GPT-4 and coaching platforms like Simply.Coach or LearnWorlds can actually help you:

Draft follow-up emails that don’t sound like they were written by Siri’s boring cousin
Suggest next steps based on actual progress patterns
Personalise learning journeys without having to play mind reader

It’s not about replacing the coach. It’s about equipping the coach with a toolkit that used to be reserved for big teams and deep pockets.

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4. Even the Industry Big Dogs Are On Board

The ICF’s now got an AI working group. Coaching certification bodies are embedding AI literacy into their programs. It’s not hype anymore. It’s infrastructure.

Dr. Jennifer Martinez from the ICF AI Standards Group says it best: "AI should make coaches more effective, not replace what makes them special."

Hard agree.

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5. Coaches Are Building Tools Themselves

Thanks to no-code tools, coaches are creating their own apps and automations without needing a computer science degree. That’s not just smart, it’s what’s keeping the human part of coaching alive in the tech stack.

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PART II: Addressing the Big, Hairy Concerns

Yes, there are still things to watch out for. And no, you’re not paranoid for feeling wary.

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The "It’ll Make Me Sound Like a Robot" Fear

Valid. Nobody wants their follow-up emails to sound like an insurance chatbot.

But AI doesn’t have to be robotic, unless you let it. The best tools learn your voice, your style, and reflect it back. If you feed it fluff, it’ll give you fluff. But feed it you, and it’ll amplify that.

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The Professional Identity Crisis

AI might be able to summarise a session, but it doesn’t know when to shut up and let the silence do the work. That’s still your job.

Your vibe. Your intuition. Your questions. That’s what makes you, you.

Don’t outsource your uniqueness. Let AI do the admin so you can show up sharper, more consistent, and more like yourself.

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Accuracy Anxiety

AI isn’t infallible. It will make things up occasionally. So yes, double-check its output. Use it as a thinking partner, not a guru.

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The "This Feels Too Shallow" Concern

Fair. AI can’t link a client’s procrastination to unresolved childhood trauma from a single sentence. That’s your job. And it still will be.

Let AI help with the scaffolding. You still build the house.

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Data Privacy

Any tech you use needs to be squeaky clean when it comes to consent, storage and transparency. If the tool doesn’t explain how it keeps client data safe, ditch it.

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**PART III: So What Does AI Actually Help With?**

1. Admin Relief

Scheduling, transcription, reminders, session notes handled. Tools like Otter.ai and Acuity are already helping coaches claw back 5–10 hours a week. That’s a lot of extra headspace for actual coaching (or just, y’know, being human).

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2. Personalisation Without the Overwhelm

Imagine AI curating a follow-up pack for your client based on their learning style, tone in the last session, and current mood. That’s not future-speak. That’s Tuesday.

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3. Consistency Between Sessions

Clients don’t just grow during the hour you spend together. AI can help maintain momentum in between nudges, reflections, personalised check-ins. All automated, but not generic.

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