When Coaching Meets Code: Why I’m Exploring an AI Version of Myself

Damian ten Bohner

Damian ten Bohner

— 3 min read
When Coaching Meets Code: Why I’m Exploring an AI Version of Myself
“Illustration of AI by Nidia Dias, Visualising AI project, via Pexels.”
The AI Version of Damian K. ten Bohmer as imagined by DALLE

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on something quietly ambitious and perhaps a bit self-indulgent, an experiment that blends two worlds I care deeply about: human-centred coaching and emerging technology.

At its core, it’s a simple question: What if a coach’s presence could be available anytime, anywhere, not as a replacement, but as a resource?

As an ICF PCC coach with over 3,000 hours of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful a single question, the right silence, or a moment of challenge can be. I’ve also learned that great coaching doesn’t come from having all the answers; it comes from helping people ask better questions of themselves.

That’s what got me thinking:

  • Could parts of my coaching style be modelled into an AI?
  • Could it help someone pause, reframe, reset, or reflect, especially in moments when a human coach isn’t available?
  • Could we make wisdom more accessible without diluting its depth?

I’m not alone in asking these questions. AI is sweeping through every corner of our professional lives, with both practical and hype-driven applications. But the conversation in coaching has largely remained cautious. Rightly so.

Because let’s be honest: coaching is about human connection, trust, intuition, and emotion. It’s about what’s not said as much as what is.

And yet, I also believe this:

Technology, when used wisely, can scale access without losing soul. It can support reflection without replacing the relationship.

That’s the line I’ve been exploring.

What I’ve Learned So Far

Creating a digital “version” of my coaching approach has been equal parts fascinating and humbling. Here are three insights:

  • Clarity matters more than complexity. Machines don’t handle vague or half-baked ideas well. But neither do most people. Coaching becomes clearer when we cut through the jargon and speak in plain language.
  • A challenge can be encoded, but empathy is more difficult. You can train an AI to ask tough questions. But the tone — the way a real coach makes space for discomfort without judgement, that’s still a uniquely human art. And it should stay that way.
  • We’re not replacing coaching, we’re extending its reach. Think of it less like an AI “coach,” and more like a digital thinking partner. A prompt when you’re stuck. A mirror when you’re spiralling. A compass when you’ve lost direction.

What Comes Next

I’m not here to sell anything. Not yet.

This article isn’t a launch; it’s a reflection. A way to invite dialogue. A nudge for fellow coaches and curious leaders to ask: What might be possible when we blend wisdom with technology, and still lead with the human?

I don’t believe AI will ever replace the magic of a real coaching conversation. But I do believe it can support more people in moments that matter.

And if it helps someone think more clearly at 2:00 am on the other side of the world, maybe that’s a good start.

If you’re a coach, a leader, or just curious about the intersection of humanity and tech, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you explored something similar? What questions are you sitting with?

Let’s keep the conversation real. And human.

Try the AI Version of me yourself.

I would welcome any feedback.

#Leadership #Coaching #AI #FutureOfWork #HumanFirst #Reflection #ICFCoach #StoicLeadership

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