Is this the end for human career coaches?

There may still be a place for human empathy and tears

Does this article in the Wall Street Journal signal the end for human career coaches? Probably not, but it does make those of us in the profession think long and hard about what we offer that can't be simulated (or copied) by ChatGPT and other tools.

The headline of the article is a little misleading. The author seems to be using her AI coach primarily as a *business* coach. That, however, doesn't mean it couldn't easily be used as a career coach. I've designed my own custom GPT to help me think through issues related to my business and career.

In my experience, an AI coach needs its own coaching from the user, especially when it comes to being less supportive and more critical. It can get a little tiresome (and dangerous) to be told that all of your ideas are good ones. The author points this out. But how many people will remember, or want, to push back against the constant reinforcement? I'm aware of the issue and don't remember to do it 100% of the time. And sometimes I, or you, may want to talk to someone who has actually experienced something and not just read about it (or ingested it).

And when things get really tough and you desperately need an empathetic listener, will the AI version be a satisfying alternative? While it's not my norm, I've been known to shed a tear or two in coaching sessions.

Will AI tears be comforting or just creepy?