What Narcissus teaches us about AI and the future of coaching

I find myself in conversations about the future of technology - and the present, which is unusual enough at times - but I find it important to not trip into my enjoyment of science fiction too often, when so many lessons that have been present among humanity for thousands of years remain true and helpful.

Narcissus and the smartphone

Think with me about the myth of Narcissus. I was listening to a podcast recently (I think - I now can't find the source so if you know it please do let me know!) in which this was presented as a reflection on our contemporary relationship with technology. The particular example that makes this most obvious is the smartphone. The story of Narcissus tells us of a young man whose beauty is captivating, and who ends up falling in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Despite his holding attributes that we would all probably wish for (who doesn't want to be physically attractive?) the infatuation he trips into reveals that self-absorption ultimately leads to despair.

The smartphone is quite an incredible innovative work. I spoke at two events earlier this week in which I asked people to indicate whether they regularly used a smartphone and/or a virtual reality headset. These are grown-ups I'm talking about. Out of around 500 people, not a single one didn't use a smartphone every day. And around 30 used virtual reality headsets several times a week. We're further ahead in adoption of technology than I think we sometimes realise.

The smartphone allows us to hold the entire world in the palm of our hand. And while in some ways this provides us with a beautiful connection to everything that is external to ourselves, in many ways it is a metaphoric pool of Narcissus. Just as he couldn't help but gaze into his own reflection, it's hard for us to not find ourselves entranced, scrolling through endless feeds of compelling content, curating our digital persona through updates to our various profiles, social media posts and other interactions. I've written before about how we do this, and the risk is that it's easy to become captivated by an illusion of ourselves that may not correspond to reality.

We've become expert architects of the digital versions of ourselves, in which every post and comment can become a calculated effort to present the version of ourselves we want others to believe. At times of course social media can bring out the worst of us, as the algorithms work hard to incite rage in order to hold our attention. But when we're doing it thoughtfully our social media personas are still us, just always on our best day.

But at what cost? To what extent do we sacrifice genuine personal interactions and experiences for the sake of a polished online image?

AI's role in shaping human growth

In a few short years the smartphone will possibly start to feel like the previous generation's technology. This isn't just about AI, but we're seeing technologies become increasingly sophisticated and being presented by the question: As AI increasingly personalises every aspect of our day-to-day, are we risking the next evolution of Narcissus in ourselves? Perhaps a product like AIcoach.chat could reflect back our ambitions and desires in a non-judgemental way, unlocking deep insights and deepening our self-understanding. Or perhaps our addiction to technology will trip us into cycles of self-obsession, amplifying our existing narratives rather than challenging them.

This is where reflection becomes paramount. The ancient wisdom found within the tale of Narcissus argues for an informed and intelligent engagement with technology, particularly when that's going to have a ripple effect on wider systems. Just as Narcissus learned too late that mere reflection does not equate to authentic connection, we must ensure that we're well set-up to use technology to increase authenticity and connection, rather than being led towards deeper waters of isolation.

An invitation to The Digital and AI Coaches' Conference

One great place to unpack these intricate dynamics will be at The Digital and AI Coaches' Conference, which I'm privileged to be hosting on 6th and 7th February. Over two days, leading industry voices from a wealth of different backgrounds will gather to share insights, research and real-world applications that challenge us to think critically about what these technologies can do and what we should do in response, and in anticipation.

On Day 1, we will delve into the topic of digital coaching, which nowadays is simply another term for "coaching". Jonathan Passmore will start our journey with a keynote on the changing nature of the coaching industry, paving the way for deep-dives throughout the day. We'll hear about evidenced outcomes from Natalie Michalik , a real-life case study of digital coaching for organisational transformation within Vodafone from Carl Clarke , the ethical implications surrounding digital practices from Rachel Hawley , the EMCC's approach to digital standards from Ozlem Sarioglu, MTP, PCC and a lot more.

Day 2 shifts our focus to the exciting, emergent and in many ways still unknown realm of AI coaching. David Tee will begin with an evaluation of AI bots, inviting us to ponder whether these innovations can genuinely accelerate personal development, how good a replacement for human interaction they are, and what role they might play in the future of the profession. There will be critical discussions surrounding the ethical challenges of AI within the coaching context, including among many other things hearing about the latest developments in coach development from Jonathan Reitz, MCC, ACTC and getting a glimpse of cutting-edge research insights from Prof. Nicky Terblanche (PhD) . We will hear from Joel DiGirolamo on the ICF's AI coaching standards, and round out the day with what promises to be a fascinating interview with Marshall Goldsmith and Nankhonde Kasonde-van den Broek on Marshall Bot.

My expectation is that over the two days we will strip away the layers of narrative and clickbait to challenge the simplistic view of technology as either saviour or existential threat. Instead, we'll explore the nuanced interactions between human and machine, recognising that while we can gain immense benefits from these advancements there are genuine risks that need addressing, and the core values that underpin coaching remain the same as they have done since the profession first emerged.

I would strongly encourage you to grab a ticket! It looks like being an enjoyable and interesting time together for us to hear from thought leaders and pioneers, and also to contribute to a deeply important dialogue on the emerging coaching landscape.

This invite is absolutely not one to merely gaze at our own reflections in the waters of innovation. Let's take on the lessons Narcissus offers us. Instead, we can wade together into those waters with a spirit of experimentation and curiosity, exploring the intersection of technology and coaching to discover what potential legacy might emerge for us to leave.