Human Coach vs AI Coach

OK, let's talk about the elephant in the room - AI Coaches.

Image source: WIX AI

Let's start with my conversation with ChatGPT.

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PROMPT: You are a certified life coach and I am a client trying to stay fit in 2026. Help me with it. Let this be a natural coach-client conversation.

ChatGPT: Understood. I will step into the role of your coach, and we will treat this as an ongoing working conversation rather than a one-off plan.

Let’s start by orienting ourselves.

Before we talk tactics, I want to understand your context, because sustainable fitness is always built around real life—not ideals.

First, a few grounding questions

Answer these in whatever level of detail feels natural:

1. What does “staying fit” mean to you in 2026?For example: energy levels, body composition, strength, mobility, mental clarity, confidence, health markers, or something else.

2. What is your current baseline?

   • How often are you exercising right now?

   • What types of movement do you already do (if any)?

   • Any injuries, limitations, or health considerations I should respect?

3. What has historically gotten in your way? Time, motivation, inconsistency, boredom, stress, travel, over-ambitious plans, accountability—something else?

4. What’s one thing that is working right now, even if it’s small?

How we’ll work together

So you know what to expect from me as your coach:

• We will design systems, not rely on willpower.

• We will prioritize consistency over intensity.

• We will treat fitness as something that supports your life, not competes with it.

• When you fall off (not if), we’ll focus on fast recovery, not guilt.

Once you answer the questions above, I’ll help you:

• Clarify a clear but flexible fitness identity for 2026

• Define a minimum viable routine (your non-negotiable floor)

• Build a realistic weekly structure

• Set up simple accountability and feedback loops

Take your time answering. This is the foundation.

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The questions are great and well aligned with what an effective coach would ask. However, what you miss is the live dialog with a human who can see you, realize where you are at right now and prioritize what would be most beneficial right now.

Does this mean that AI coaches are not useful? - Absolutely not, they are highly effective and evolving rapidly. As of today, here is a breakdown of use cases and the applicability of AI coaches vs Human coaches:

Use Case	Value from AI Coaches	Value from Human Coaches
Goal Setting	Structured frameworks; clarifies objectives through prompts	Helps surface underlying motivations and misaligned goals. Check out my blog on "Why asking WHY matters"?
Habit Formation, Routine planning	Daily reminders, and tracking	Identifies emotional state and adjusts expectations. See this blog on new habits.
Progress Tracking	Data-driven insights; trend analysis	Emotional interpretation of progress
Motivation Support	Logic driven responses	Life happens and it is normal to have setbacks - a human coach can help you stay on track
Accountability	Automated check-ins	The coach works with you to identify an accountability partner
Skill Development	AI coaches are great for this use case. Courses, practice drills, evaluations etc.	The personal experiences of the coach may help with additional insights.
Crisis or Inflection Points	Not appropriate	You need human intervention via a coach or a medical professional depending on the situation
Long-Term Growth	AI helps maintain momentum and continuity	Shapes identity, confidence, and perspective

So, what is the final verdict? The answer depends on the use case.

I believe that AI tools are here to stay and so are human coaches. If I were you, I'd start with a free AI tool and see how it goes - if you are making progress, stay there. When you reach a turning point with AI, switch to a human. And, feel free to blend both to optimize your performance - the approach doesn't have to be one or the other.

Mark Manson (author of The subtle art of not giving a f*ck) launched an AI mentor app called "Purpose" (https://purpose.app/). It is priced at ~12 USD per month after the 7-day trial. If it meets the hype, it is good to have a 24/7 coach in your pocket. I plan to try it soon - I'll post a review.

Hope this helps.

Athma

coach@athma.ca

Life coach, Toronto, Canada

PS: I have no affiliation with Mark Manson or his app.