BetterUp has facilitated over 3 million coaching sessions since 2013.
While artificial intelligence (AI) has been a part of its DNA since day one, “Generative AI has really changed what’s possible,” says artificial intelligence technologist and BetterUp Vice President of AI Moritz Sudhof. “When you have thousands of coaches and coachees logging in daily and millions more people we want to reach, it’s not possible to serve them at this scale without AI.”
Moritz has been hands-on with AI language models for over 15 years and currently sits on ICF’s Technology and AI Task Force.
Moritz believes large language models such as ChatGPT could help us scale empathy. “If we can create technology that understands human language, we have a window at better understanding people. Then, we can create personalized solutions that are actually helpful for people,” Moritz says.
At BetterUp, AI is integrated into its products to support coaches and coachees. Moritz believes the conversation shouldn’t be about AI coaching versus human coaching. Instead, it’s about understanding the strengths of each and using them together. He calls BetterUp’s AI philosophy “The Braid,” with AI and humans working in tandem to accomplish what neither can on its own.
“How do we lean into AI’s distinct strengths while complementing humans’ irreplaceable strengths?” Moritz asks.
Understanding AI in the Coaching Context
To better understand how you can use AI like a pro, you first have to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Moritz shares three key features of AI that BetterUp is leveraging in its platform.
AI Is on 24/7
You might not be available to coach your clients in the middle of the night before a big presentation, but AI can be there for them anytime. Coachees can receive on-demand support, a great way to add value to your coaching engagement.
If they choose to do an exercise with AI, they can share with their human coach what they learned or where they got stuck, accelerating their learning.
AI Is Not Capable of Judging You
Something magical happens when coachees realize they are in a space where it’s impossible to be judged, especially when they’re about to practice something that might feel vulnerable, like role-playing a future conversation with their boss.
When humans know that no other human will be able to see what they do, we show up more authentically. This allows coachees to show up less guarded and explore different approaches with their AI coach. Afterward, they can reflect on their learning with their human coach.
AI Can Access Limitless Data H
On the BetterUp platform, coachees can access more than 10 years of data from the BetterUp knowledge base.
This includes access to recommendations from past coaching scenarios, which can help expand their point of view on sticky situations. They also have tools like Ask Martin, an AI developed in partnership with Martin Seligman. This allows coachees to chat with an AI bot to help them view a given situation through a positive psychology lens.
AI Cannot Connect Authentically
Moritz believes there are aspects of coaching that AI will never be able to replace. For example, AI is unable to build authentic relationships.
Coachees need someone invested in their development and growth in a coaching engagement. The coaching relationship is an important determinant of success. So how does that work when coachees don’t feel accountable to an AI bot? If AI assigns them homework, they’re unlikely to complete it.
In other words, humans don’t worry about letting down a machine.
AI Can’t Replicate Human Connection
Humans are naturally good at the subtle things that help us build connections, from reading facial expressions to accessing our long-term memory of themes and patterns from past conversations. Humans can adapt in the moment and respond to the needs of a coachee within a session. Humans can relate authentically on shared experiences and emotions. These are things AI can’t replicate.
Accelerate Rapport Building and Coachee Growth with AI
Below, Moritz shares some examples of how BetterUp uses AI. While you may not have access to the BetterUp platform, similar functionalities are available through third-party tools and platforms that can be used in your coaching.
Coachee Onboarding
You’ve probably heard these questions from a coachee. “What is coaching?” “How is coaching different from therapy?” “How should I think about the role my coach plays?” Time with an AI bot can help coachees get these questions answered ahead of time and show up to their first session feeling more prepared.
Pre-Session Prep
Time with your coachee is valuable, and coaches can use AI to help strengthen relationships with coachees before they even meet and throughout the coaching journey. BetterUp found that giving coachees a five-to-eight-minute pre-session chat with AI, with prompts about what’s on their mind and how they would like to use their time with their coach, increased post-session ratings. The results showed that coachees felt more satisfied with their coach, which increased the likelihood of coachees booking additional sessions.
Support Between Sessions
Coachees can access tailored learning experiences between sessions, such as role-playing exercises, personalized resources, or on-demand support for navigating new challenges. Together with coaching sessions, these additional tools help catapult coachees’ growth.
Smart Messaging
Coaches can use AI to help manage and build relationships between sessions, such as through Smart Messaging. This feature includes dynamic templates that allow coaches to easily send a motivational message, thank you note, summary, or even homework based on their session.
BetterUp has found that coaches who use this feature send more messages, spend less time writing, and see a significant increase in engagements. The result is that coachees tend to work longer with the coach and schedule more sessions overall.
Team Up with AI to Elevate Your Coaching Practice
With a better understanding of AI and how BetterUp is leveraging it, you can weave it into your day-to-day practice, from streamlining communications to facilitating self-guided learning experiences for your clients. Through third-party tools, you can use AI to enhance your coaching practice.
Moritz knows many people are still understandably skeptical about AI. He encourages everyone, especially the skeptics, to join the conversation about AI and to actively participate in shaping AI’s role within the coaching industry. “Skepticism is healthy,” says Moritz, because it leads to the most valuable feedback.
As BetterUp’s AI integration demonstrates, its utility for coaches isn’t about efficiency or replacing normal human interactions. It’s about improving the coaching experience, deepening your connection with coachees while supporting them to achieve greater professional fulfillment. And that means enabling you, a human coach, to focus on the things you do best.
