The world is changing fast! I think that when we look back in a few years, we will see that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was the biggest breakthrough since the printing press.
The printing press kicked the Renaissance into high gear, brought literacy to the masses, and democratized knowledge.
I believe we are entering a new era: The Age of Artificial Intelligence.
Right now, AI can create content, write essays, and summarize books. It can program software, play chess, drive cars, and pass law exams. Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs, and perform human-like tasks.
AI is evolving: it can rapidly analyze, categorize, and classify millions of data points, and it gets smarter with each iteration.
AI will replace jobs.
AI is replacing jobs right now. I know entrepreneurs who are laying off copywriters and content creators because AI can do their job 4x as fast for a fraction of the price.
But can AI replace coaches?
Yes and No.
Prediction: Companies will transition to using AI and apps for weight loss and health coaching.
If they haven’t already done so, companies like Noom may replace coaches with AI and chat bots that follow scripts. The scripts will get better with each interaction. App-based coaching will be convenient and affordable, but not particularly deep: it could send prompts to remind you to drink more water or get more sleep. It could text you, “You got this” when you’re feeling down. But what will that feel like, knowing it’s probably coming from a chatbot?
Coaching will become a commodity: mass produced and unspecialized. A mile wide and an inch deep. This will be “ok” for some folks but not all.
There will always be under-served populations, such as those with PCOS, IBS, or orthorexia. People whose health concerns, diet history, and lifestyles need more ingenuity, creativity, and flexibility because they don’t fit the mold.
I also believe most people want real human connection.
They want face time and shared experiences.
And those people will pay more and expect more.
Wisdom > Knowledge.
Service > Software.
In which case, the kind of coaching we offer becomes very valuable.
Coaches who can provide a high level of service by demonstrating empathy, knowledge, and wisdom through lived experience will outperform and overdeliver on the robots, and their clients will do much better as a result.
See what we mean by “deep” coaching in our interview with Transformer Program grad Laurie.
What are your thoughts on this topic? We’d love to read your comments below. 🙂
