AI Coaching Agents - Friend or Foe

 
Presented by Dr. Hélène Seiler
Managing Director, Helsi Consulting LLC

Friday, October 30th, 2026 
12:00 pm: Welcome
12:10 pm - 1:45pm pm: Interactive Presentation 
1:45 pm - 2:00 pm: Q&A and Wrap Up 

Zoom

Please note that AI recordings, notetakers, or any similar technology is prohibited to protect confidentiality.
Also, a notetaker or bot does not count toward your attendance of a virtual event.

CCEUs:
Core Competency | .5
Resource Development | 1.5

To be eligible for CCEUs for virtual programs, the participant must attend a minimum of 75% of the "live" program.
Watching a recording will not qualify you for CCEUs.

The coaching profession is at a crossroads. As AI-powered coaching agents move from novelty to necessity, we must decide if technology will dilute the coaching process or deepen it. This session explores the critical intersection of interdisciplinary coaching traditions and emerging AI capabilities. 

Current coaching agents often suffer from a "black box" problem-relying on a limited set of theories without being transparent about how they have been trained. This theoretical narrowness risks stripping coaching of its complexity and ethical depth. The goal isn't just to adopt AI, but to steward it with reflexivity and ethical rigor, ensuring innovation enhances rather than replaces the human element. 
 
To ensure AI serves the humanity of the profession, we must: 

• Move beyond narrow models to include diverse coaching traditions and theories.
• Ensure AI training models are fully transparent to the user.
• Establish a feedback loop between developers, researchers, and practitioners. We will examine two distinct paths for the coaching industry and explore possible frameworks for integration between coaching practitioners, coaching researchers and developers of coaching agents. 
  • The Artificial Coach: Fully autonomous systems that orchestrate interventions and adapt to clients in real-time. 
  • The Hybrid Model: A collaborative approach where AI handles data-driven insights while human coaches focus on high-level empathy and nuanced intuition. 

In this workshop, we will cover the following crucial topics: 

• Critically Analyze Theoretical Foundations of current AI coaching agents and evaluate current AI limitations. 
  
• Identify and explain why current AI coaching agents are "theoretically narrow," often relying solely on positivist models like GROW or CBT.
• Identify the “Transparency Crisis” and understand the ethical and operational risks associated with the "black box" nature of AI coaching, including how it impacts client trust and informed consent.
• Explore the Interdisciplinary History of Coaching and Trace the evolution of the field. Understand coaching’s transition from 20th-century skill development to a complex discipline rooted in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience and many other disciplines.
• Conceptualize Future AI Scenarios and Analyze the "Artificial Coach" model. Examine the potential for autonomous AI characterized by long-term memory, multimodal perception (sensing tone/stress), and self-reflective loops.
• Evaluate the "Hybrid Coaching" model: Learn how to partition coaching

Highly interactive with breakout sessions and fun challenges. No preparation needed, just bring yourself! 

Presenter Bio

Dr. Hélène Seiler is a seasoned international executive coach and leadership development expert with over 25 years of experience. With a focus on international organizations, women’s leadership, and leadership transitions, she has helped leaders from diverse cultures navigate complex challenges and achieve their full potential. As a Master Certified Coach (MCC), Dr. Seiler combines her extensive experience with evidence-based research and personalized strategies to empower clients to take ownership of their development.

Through a collaborative approach, she creates a safe space for clients to explore their strengths, identify development areas, and implement effective leadership behaviors. With a passion for coaching excellence, Dr. Seiler is a published author of coaching research and dedicated to mentoring and training other coaches. Her expertise and commitment to professional growth make her a valuable resource for organizations seeking to develop their leadership talent and coach cadre.

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heleneseiler/
Email: helenes@helseiconsulting.com