Actually, I’d prefer to talk to a machine….
It is almost a decade since an AI therapist called Ellie created shockwaves in therapy and coaching: veterans with PTSD preferred talking to an AI over a human.
By David Clutterbuck · 3 min read
It’s almost a decade ago that an AI therapist called Ellie created shockwaves in the worlds of therapy and coaching – veterans suffering from PTSD preferred to have conversations with AI, compared with a professional human. Part of the explanation is that, whenever we interact with another human, we experience some level of performance pressure that limits our self-honesty.
It’s an issue that reverberates still for some coaches using Ask David.
Ask David is a curated AI clone of me & my work allows Coaches, Mentors & business professionals to have a conversation with ‘me’ 24/7 and work through ideas, challenges and to develop clarity in your decision making.
Too raw to discuss with a human
We are seeing some users of Ask David being incredibly open and vulnerable in their AI conversations, exploring issues that might be deemed too raw to discuss with a human.
So as coaches or mentors, how can we overcome this apparent handicap?
The answer is to become more human, not more machine
The answer is not to become more like the machine, working harder and harder to remove any sense of implied or anticipated judgement in the mind of the client. It is to become more human, building rapport and empathy through, for example, judiciously chosen revelations about our own vulnerabilities and experiences. This is something an AI can’t do. An AI builds trust through absence of self; a human by allowing glimpses of their authentic self.
How much of yourself to reveal
It’s all too easy, of course, to over-reveal. Which is why so many schools of coaching and therapy teach that we should avoid this form of intimate connection altogether. As is so often the case, the optimum lies somewhere between the two extremes. Highly skilled coaches, mentors and therapists know just how much of themselves to reveal to create optimal connection and rapport.
You might like to experiment yourself about how open and vulnerable you are prepared to go when interacting with an AI you can trust. You can engage in a short demonstration or sign up for a 7 day free trial.
Questions
Why do some people open up more to an AI than to a human?
Whenever we interact with another human, we experience some level of performance pressure that limits our self-honesty. Almost a decade ago, veterans suffering from PTSD preferred to have conversations with an AI therapist called Ellie compared with a professional human, and users of Ask David are now exploring issues that might be deemed too raw to discuss with a human.
Who was Ellie, the AI therapist?
Ellie was an AI therapist that created shockwaves in the worlds of therapy and coaching almost a decade ago, when veterans suffering from PTSD preferred to have conversations with the AI compared with a professional human.
How should coaches respond to clients who prefer talking to an AI?
Not by becoming more like the machine, working harder to remove any sense of implied or anticipated judgement in the client’s mind, but by becoming more human – building rapport and empathy through judiciously chosen revelations about our own vulnerabilities and experiences. An AI builds trust through absence of self; a human by allowing glimpses of their authentic self.
How much should a coach reveal about themselves?
It is all too easy to over-reveal, which is why so many schools of coaching and therapy teach that we should avoid this form of intimate connection altogether. The optimum lies somewhere between the two extremes, and highly skilled coaches, mentors and therapists know just how much of themselves to reveal to create optimal connection and rapport.