Artificial intelligence - also for mediation, coaching and counselling?

Possible effects lie on several levels (which, of course, can only be clearly separated in theory, but hardly in concrete cases):

Interest in and openness to AI and tools: New technological developments initially require curiosity, a willingness to engage with them and ultimately acceptance. How long before the Covid pandemic did "we" "claim" that mediation or mediation training could not be carried out online with the same quality?

Stay on the ball: Progress, i.e. possibilities and quality, are developing rapidly. My snapshot will be outdated with the next update.

Critical appraisal: New things usually produce ardent fans and dismissive ascetics. With AI, the question is not whether we need it, but how we deal with its increasing integration into everyday private, public and business life. The disadvantages also need to be considered: AI-generated content is often, or soon will be, unrecognisable as such. Above all, however, the intention with which the content was created cannot be recognised. Manipulation and fake news are becoming "professionalised" and widely accessible.

My biggest concern for mediation and coaching is that the ability to scrutinise content and sources has already diminished among long-term social media consumers, according to my interpretation. The perception of truth is changing significantly. Dialogue between different points of view is becoming more difficult, and the willingness to engage in debate is already declining. Are we as a society losing the ability to think critically and scrutinise? How can we then change our perspective?

As coaches, we have to deal with AI, even if we are sceptical about it or barely understand it. Because it is an important topic, at least for our clients, and it is part of our professionalism to be able to have a say in it.

Forecasts on this topic that go beyond a very short-term trend are pure speculation, even by experts. This is because further developments depend on unpredictable interactions between developers, users, providers, legislators and associations, all of whom, as living systems, can make surprising reassessments when new facts become known. This is likely to have a surprising effect on actual developments.

With AI and other imponderables such as wars, elections, economic risks, etc., a completely unfamiliar level of uncertainty has arisen. Even the previous supporters of trend research and predictability of the future in principle increasingly see this world view as a beautiful illusion.

As this - new – uncertainty not only occurs at a high global level, but also quite specifically for specialists and managers in everyday organisational life, it is increasingly becoming a topic in coaching and consulting.

For coaches and counsellors, this means first of all examining their own world view and looking at the strategies they use to deal with high levels of uncertainty. Are there resources in the theory of complex / living systems? In people who have survived many crises? In the findings on resilience, or in certain forms of spirituality?

So it would be good if we as coaches or consultants could explain to our clients serious models for dealing with the uncertainty that is unavoidable in complexity - such as Cynefin. And, as a mature counterpart, we could be helpful with our clients' personal uncertainty issues, which may suddenly arise when uncertainty is high. The economic crashes, etc. have created a completely unfamiliar level of uncertainty. Even the previous supporters of trend research and the ability to predict the future in principle are increasingly seeing their view of the world as an illusion.

Until recently, people thought that machines would never replace people, even in our industry.

Nevertheless, the current state of knowledge is quite different:

– We are not as empathetic as an AI,
– We are not that precise,
– We have many more biases,

And yet the same applies: we are and were – effective even without a machine –. The issue therefore appears to be somewhat more complex.

I think what some people are afraid of with an AI that can suddenly do the „soft“ communication things better, is that we will ultimately have to answer a very unpleasant question, namely: What makes us human? 

What makes us mediators? What will or could be the core of our service, even if people could also be supported by a machine? 

This question needs to be answered.

If AI can do things better where it is not important to be human, there is a simple conclusion with regard to AI: it is important that coaches, counsellors and mediators firstly do what only humans can do to a particularly high degree and secondly stop being trivial and under-complex intervention dispensers in their interventions. AI will soon be able to do the latter much better. This is the reason why there are initial studies showing that AI therapists can keep up with behavioural therapists in terms of their effects.

People communicate not only through language, but also with the help of their bodies. They arouse and create resonances in the other person before a single word has been spoken. That's why counselling requires a body that absorbs and spreads atmospheres. AI cannot do that. It treats the same problems in the same way. People treat the same problems differently.

An AI is dependent on objectives in order to orientate itself. However, many counselling issues require a lack of intention in the other person, because otherwise symbioses arise in which the client provides the coach with what the coach considers to be success. Clients want to be good clients. An AI does not recognise this and therefore falls for all clients who try to be good clients during counselling. Almost all of them, in fact. This is because – the most important issues in clients are almost always based on a "pressure to deliver" that they have to live out in relationships. New things cannot be created in the old relationship pattern.

In the future, it will be particularly important to make contact by offering to do nothing, to be unintentional, to open up space and then to look specifically at the client's unrealised potential. AI is better at optimising what already exists. However, finding roots in the depth of one's own perceptual impulses – is something that AI cannot support, as it has no physical-emotional basis of perception itself. Without feeling yourself, you cannot create relationships in which other, new feelings arise.

So what is important? That you yourself become a perceptive, independent, unintentionally loving person. This is a challenging task for anyone working professionally in the field of counselling.

"I have long seen a potential role for AI in mediation, although the importance of human interaction and the limits of AI remain. AI could have a supportive effect, it must not and will not replace the human component, but at most complement it - also from an ethical point of view. This must first be recognised as a basic assumption.

With regard to the emotional and ethical aspects and the capability of AI, the most important hurdle is probably the confidentiality of the information and data obtained, which is not conclusively guaranteed - a basic condition for openness in a clarification process that must be urgently observed.

In terms of confidentiality, I see the need for AI to be organised in a credible and trustworthy way, but I don't see that happening at the moment.

The rapid development of technology and its impact on mediation practice - particularly how the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for technological change - has certainly served mediation well. The pandemic has acted as a "booster" for technological change in mediation, I have observed.

Face-to-face forms were no longer possible, and new virtual forms of meeting have not only emerged, but have also reached a certain level of acceptance.

The experimental use and testing of AI, for example in writing and rephrasing texts, remains interesting. I see this as a way of transforming the source of what is said into more generalised statements.

Well thought-out prompts based on solid data can quickly provide support for complex issues. However, my copyright concerns about the use of AI with regard to statements or content make me feel uncomfortable. If the AI has permission to use the data, it is legitimate. However, the question of authenticity remains (keyword: fake news) - all unresolved issues that should not be left uncriticised.

However, there could still be applications: AI can be used in pre-clearance and order clarification to analyse cases and predict probabilities for favourable procedures or interventions. AI could be an effective tool for mediators to reflect on after mediations.

Based on the quote from Alfred Korzybski: "The map is not the landscape, but if the map is similar to the structure of the landscape, it is useful." So a navigation system in a car, on a bike or on foot that can guide me unerringly on a virtual map can never be equated with the landscape that I experience through my visual and experiential world.

The human subject remains - even with AI."

So when asked what is important for us mediators, coaches and counsellors, my impression is this:

• to a Constantly keeping a watchful eye on AI developments (wherever they lead, the end is clearly uncertain)
• to the A desire to try things out (which is great fun because there are so many incredibly fascinating possibilities) and above all
• to the Engage in meaningful AI utilisation in the form of smart, targeted input. Because if you don't know how to use AI, you could fall for the fallacy that AI is bad. But the only really, really bad thing I've found about AI for mediation is mediation jokes. So far, the AI can't do humour at all. As proof: "Why are mediators so good at dancing? Answer: Because they always find the right step to a solution" - even the laugh emoji that comes with the chat GPT doesn't help.

For us as counsellors, it will be important in future to integrate AI skills into our own practice in a meaningful way – without losing our own identity as a coach or mediator.

Concerns that AI could jeopardise the human element of consulting are understandable, as emotional intelligence, empathy and dealing with interpersonal dynamics are essential skills that make up our profession. We should always keep this in mind - and at the same time boldly utilise the new. The coronavirus crisis has shown how important it is to adapt quickly (despite initial reservations) to new circumstances (in this case, online platforms). If we as an industry had not jumped on this bandwagon, we would have missed the boat.

In view of the constant development of AI and its increasing use in everyday life, we counsellors should also examine how we can not only learn to use it, but also benefit from it. On the one hand, by using apps such as ChatGPT to support us in our day-to-day work. On the other hand, in order to be well prepared for customers who may have already prepared for our counselling format in advance with the help of precisely these technologies.

My forecast: Consultants will learn to view AI as a partner, that allows them to focus on the purely human aspects of their work. A responsible and differentiated approach to AI may help to ensure success in the industry.

AI has "come" to stay! This genie is out of the bottle and what this means for the future is still difficult to predict. The capabilities of the "AI" ELIZA in the 1960s were grossly overestimated; current AIs are often greatly underestimated. I think mediators, counsellors and coaches should not ignore these developments.

It is important to deal with it, to be able to assess the capabilities of AI systems properly and to make an informed decision as to whether and to what extent people want to use this new tool.

With so many changes on the horizon, the real question for us is: 'What is *not* changing?

Jeff Bezos has become famous for this question. As we all know, he has turned the book market upside down with Amazon. What has remained the same, however, is that people need guidance on what to read next. They used to ask their bookseller, but now they read the reviews of other buyers. And it turns out that 'trust' is and remains the most important currency (see verified identity, etc.)

We see three specific areas of action for mediation:: 

Our mediation services, 

our mediation marketing, 

the decision-making process of our customers.

You already get quite good answers when you ask ChatGPT for an assessment of the situation or for the text of an email that you could write to the conflict partner. We suspect, however, that the need to get the dedicated support of mediators during the actual mediation meeting will remain.

In marketing, the communication channels will probably change so much that our imagination is not enough to visualise this change today. But as mediators, we still need to have an empathetic understanding of what our potential customers' 'burning hut' is and have a suitable offer to match.

And the customer's decision-making process? This will only take place if we succeed in establishing a relationship of trust with each other.

„The developments in AI, especially through tools such as ChatGPT, bring exciting opportunities – but also some challenges for us as coaches, counsellors and mediators. It will be important to use these technologies in a way that enriches our work without losing the human aspect. AI can help us to speed up processes and gain new perspectives. Ultimately, however, it remains our task to maintain human contact, empathy and trust - things that machines simply cannot replace.

However, we also need to be aware of this: Clients will increasingly come into contact with AI tools such as ChatGPT and perhaps use them as counsellors or coaches. This means that they often come to us better prepared, which lowers the barrier to entry for mediation but also increases the demands on us as an industry. We must continue to be able to conduct human dialogue and provide real support in emotionally complex situations.

For me, one thing is clear: AI should never be seen as a substitute for our expertise. It is a powerful tool that helps us to work more efficiently and discover new perspectives. But human intuition, empathy and the ability to go deep on emotional levels remain crucial when it comes to being truly effective in mediation or coaching “

There was a time when my IT company and I were trying to develop computer programmes that would make the mediator's work easier. My team quickly came across a problem that we know from chess. After the very first move, there are an almost infinite number of options. For a long time, it was not believed that computers could play chess better than humans. Funnily enough, the invincible chess computer was ultimately created by an AI called AlphaZero. Nevertheless, humans still play chess with each other. I made it easy for myself and simply asked the AI what it thought about the problem. The answer was: "For coaches, counsellors and mediators the change brought about by AI is an invitation to evolve and redefine roles. It's about integrating the technical possibilities of AI in a meaningful way while retaining specifically human strengths such as empathy, intuition and ethical reflection. Those who openly embrace these changes and are willing to continuously develop their skills will also be successful in an AI-influenced world and will continue to be able to support people in a valuable way.