Why the Human Element Still Matters
About a year ago, I was convinced AI could never replace one of the most human of roles: supporting others through the messy realities of work and life.
But AI is advancing quickly. Just look at medicine.
According to Harvard Medical School, AI is already diagnosing cancers, analyzing X-rays, and even passing medical exams. And yet the human role isn’t going away...yet. Doctors bring compassion, context, and judgment. Things AI can't perfectly replicate, again as of now. So, the immediate future of care likely lies in physician–AI collaboration, not replacement.
The same is true for coaching. Gen AI, specifically, can come up with frameworks, insights, and even probing questions in seconds. Pretty remarkable. But when you’re facing burnout, career pivots, or life inflection points, nothing replaces the nuance of human connection, empathy, and real-time accountability.
So what does it look like to embrace both, which I'm very much a fan of?
Here are 5 ways to lean into AI and live coaching for better work-life alignment:
1️⃣ Use AI for reflection prompts — let it generate journaling questions, jot down your thoughts, then bring your insights to a coaching session.
2️⃣ Automate the basics — offload scheduling, task lists, or habit tracking to AI tools so your coaching can focus on the deeper work.
3️⃣ Spot patterns — use AI to analyze mood, energy, or time logs; explore the “why” behind them with your coach.
4️⃣ Expand your lens — ask AI about global well-being practices, then integrate them into your coaching journey. (obviously a personal favorite)
5️⃣ Stay human at the core — let AI accelerate knowledge, but keep connection, accountability, and empathy grounded in real conversation.
Gen AI, whether it’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Claude, can support alignment. But it’s the human element that makes it sustainable, meaningful, and real. And, that's where the breakthroughs happen.
Source: How Artificial Intelligence is Disrupting Medicine and What it Means for Physicians (Harvard Medical School)
