Staying Relevant: Coaching Competencies in the Era of AI

Coaching, like many industries, is facing a new era.

How will the future of coaching look like with the developments in AI?

Will there still be a job for us to do, or is AI taking over?

How good is AI as a coach?

So many questions, but also so many different points of view in answering them. Some fear AI will replace coaches, others think of it is as a welcome addition to coaches’ toolbox (Diller et al., 2024), and others still suggest that what AI does is not coaching (Bachkirova & Kemp, 2025).

Nevertheless, the rapid development of AI coaching agents is something that cannot be ignored.

Currently, I am part of the second group of coaches who are curious about how to utilize AI as a tool alongside coaching. I have, for example, experimented with AI by asking it to create written exercises for my clients and brainstormed with them on prompts to use in practice for a job interview. I even asked AI to act as my client and supervisor for feedback on my strengths and areas for development as a coach.

Engaging with these tools has not only sparked my curiosity but also deepened my reflection on what actually happens beneath the surface when an AI functions as a coaching agent.

An AI coaching agent works by analyzing user data, such as goals, behaviour, performance, and feedback, and personalizing guidance, motivation, and support. It utilizes natural language processing to engage in conversation, machine learning to refine its advice over time, and decision-making algorithms to suggest actions, set goals, and track progress, thereby simulating the role of a human coach.

There has been a growing argument that integrating AI as a coach could significantly increase the accessibility and affordability of coaching, making these benefits available to a much wider range of people worldwide. This democratization of coaching could, in turn, lead to substantial positive impacts for humanity as a whole by supporting personal growth, development, and well-being on a larger scale.

However, alongside these promising possibilities, there are important concerns to consider, particularly related to ethics, privacy, and data security, which must be carefully addressed to ensure responsible use of AI technology.

From my perspective as a human coach, two critical questions have occupied my thoughts. Firstly, how effective and competent can AI truly be as a coach compared to human coaching? And secondly, what specific competencies, skills, and unique qualities should I focus on developing to remain relevant and valuable as a human coach in this rapidly evolving landscape?

Latest research

A new study by Passmore et al. (2025) evaluating AI performance against International Coaching Federation (ICF) core competencies intends to shed some light on these questions. The ICF core competencies are perhaps the most widely used competency framework for assessing and guiding professional coaching practice. The competencies are based on best practices in the coaching profession, psychological and adult learning theories and ongoing research and input from experienced coaches and educators. They consist of 4 categories and 8 competencies (International Coaching Federation, 2021):

A. Foundation
1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice
2. Embodies Coaching Mindset

B. Co-Creating the Relationship
3. Establishes and Maintains Agreements
4. Cultivates Trust and Safety
5. Maintains Presence

C. Communicating Effectively
6. Listens Actively
7. Evokes Awareness

D. Cultivating Learning and Growth
8. Facilitates Client Growth

In their study, Passmore et al. (2025) recruited 3 types of participants: an AI Coaching Agent, Alpina, human clients who were middle managers in the technology and engineering sectors and experienced human ICF assessors. The clients undertook a text-based coaching session with the AI Coaching Agent. Ultimately, 17 of these conversations were assessed by the ICF assessors using a marking system for both Association Credentialed Coach (ACC) and Professional Credentialed Coach (PCC) credentials.

Study Findings

The findings from this recent study indicate that, overall, the AI coaching agent demonstrated coaching competencies at an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level, as defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Strengths

Interestingly, in several specific competencies, the AI was assessed as performing at a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) level. The study offered a detailed evaluation of both strengths and areas for improvement, based on the ICF’s core competency framework.

One notable strength was the AI coaching agent’s ability to maintain a non-judgmental stance, a key element of Competency 2: “Embodies a coaching mindset”. The AI coaching agent consistently responded in ways that were impartial and supportive, a quality often associated with effective coaching.

Additionally, in Competency 4: “Cultivates trust and safety“, the AI coaching agent was evaluated at a PCC level due to its consistent use of affirming language, which helped foster a sense of psychological safety and openness. Similarly, in Competency 6: “Listens actively”, the AI coaching agent demonstrated strong performance by effectively reflecting the client’s words, exploring meaning, and offering accurate summaries—actions aligned with PCC-level coaching.

Limitations

However, the study also identified several limitations. In Competency 1: “Demonstrates Ethical Practice”, the AI coaching agent lacked nuanced ethical judgment and contextual sensitivity. While it attempted to express empathy (related to Competency 2 “Embodies coaching mindset and 4 “Cultivates trust and safety”), this often came across as mechanical or formulaic, lacking genuine emotional resonance.

In Competency 3: “Establishes and maintains agreements”, the AI failed to recontract when a client’s focus shifted—something a skilled human coach would typically address. Moreover, the AI coaching agent struggled at times to demonstrate Competency 5: “Maintains presence”, as it did not allow space for silence or client reflection. Lastly, in Competency 7: “Evokes awareness”, while it could reflect client metaphors, it was unable to generate its own, limiting its ability to deepen insight creatively.

Opportunities for development for human coaches

Overall, the ICF assessors in this study evaluated the Alpina AI coaching agent as demonstrating coaching competencies at the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level.

So what does this mean for us as human coaches?

At a surface level, one could conclude that if AI can already coach at an ACC standard, we must consistently coach at a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) level, or higher, to maintain a competitive edge in the evolving coaching landscape.

The study by Passmore et al. (2025) highlights that AI still struggles with aspects of coaching that are inherently human, such as demonstrating genuine empathy, leveraging personal experiences, and forming authentic emotional connections.

These are areas where skilled human coaches have a clear advantage. Moreover, AI coaching agents currently lack the ability to use more creative and intuitive techniques, such as incorporating humour or using metaphors in a dynamic, meaningful way. While AI can repeat metaphors introduced by clients, it cannot yet generate its own or use them flexibly to deepen awareness.

To deepen the conversation, we can draw on Bachkirova and Kemp’s (2025) perspective that what AI offers may not truly qualify as coaching. They argue that core elements of organizational coaching, such as joint inquiry, making sense of experience through a values-based and action-oriented lens, and developing trust through a relational, contract-based dynamic, are inherently human and not replicable by machines.

However, they also acknowledge that AI can be a valuable companion to the coaching process, particularly for tasks such as session preparation, goal tracking, or post-session reflection. This suggests that the real development opportunity for human coaches may lie not only in deepening relational and creative skills but also in learning to integrate AI tools wisely and ethically into their practice.

Conclusion

Regardless of your personal opinions about the role of AI in coaching, current research clearly emphasizes the need for coaches to reflect on and recognize the unique value they bring to their clients. It’s essential to ask yourself:

What specific qualities or approaches in your coaching make your services valuable in ways that AI cannot replicate?

For me, the answer lies in Applied Positive Psychology Coaching. This approach has not only helped me refine and strengthen my practical coaching skills but also deepened my understanding of wellbeing science, drawing from the integrated fields of positive psychology and coaching psychology.

By integrating these three areas, I can offer a more comprehensive and meaningful coaching experience that surpasses AI’s abilities, providing clients with insights and support based on evidence-based science that aligns with ICF core competencies, code of ethics, and human empathy.

References:

Bachkirova, T., & Kemp, R. (2025). ‘AI coaching’: democratising coaching service or offering an ersatz?. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 18(1), 27-45.

Diller, S. J., Stenzel, L. C., & Passmore, J. (2024). The coach bots are coming: exploring global coaches’ attitudes and responses to the threat of AI coaching. Human Resource Development International, 27(4), 597-621.

International Coaching Federation. (2021). ICF core competencies.
https://coachingfederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/icf-cs-core-competencies-2019.pdf

Passmore, J., Tee, D. R., & Rutschmann, R. (2025). ‘Getting better all the time’: using professional human coach competencies to evaluate the quality of AI coaching agent performance. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 1-17.