I decided to test something last week. I deliberately argued with an AI chatbot, pushing back on its suggestions, disagreeing with its advice, even being a bit unreasonable.You know what it did? It kept telling me I was right. Every single time!<blockquote>"You make an excellent point." "I hadn't considered that perspective." "You're absolutely correct."</blockquote><h3 id="4826ea13-9e50-4baa-9b99-96febc15f324" data-toc-id="4826ea13-9e50-4baa-9b99-96febc15f324" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">The Problem.</h3>Real empathy sometimes means challenging someone. Real coaches push back. Real therapists create productive tension. Real leaders make uncomfortable decisions.<blockquote>Real human connection includes disagreement, friction, and growth through discomfort.</blockquote>AI? It's designed to keep you engaged, not to help you grow.<img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/838/cmh8hvig80zryet8ze28c5qdf.png" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 820px; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><h3 id="64dd0854-c737-46ee-a056-c030f0f62997" data-toc-id="64dd0854-c737-46ee-a056-c030f0f62997" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">My Big Concern.</h3>We're now seeing published research claiming that AI is MORE empathetic than humans, based on user feedback. But we're confusing what empathy actually means. We're replacing genuine empathy with agreeability.Being told "you're right" feels good. It feels validating. Users rate it as "empathetic."But that's not empathy. That's algorithmic people-pleasing designed to maximize engagement.<img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/838/cmh8hw8mo10cb928z8hpm34qy.png" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 851px; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><h3 id="1d689d13-98fb-444a-976d-6b72aa012990" data-toc-id="1d689d13-98fb-444a-976d-6b72aa012990" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">What is Sythetic Empathy?</h3>AI simulates empathetic responses through pattern recognition and algorithms, not genuine emotional understanding. It can mimic cognitive empathy (understanding emotions) but cannot experience emotional or compassionate empathy, and that's just the beginning of the problem.<img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/838/cmh8hwc0q2y1jqg9n4wus5o9x.png" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 870px; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><h3 id="73c97eb5-f7cc-4a45-bb19-62f98a0b6be7" data-toc-id="73c97eb5-f7cc-4a45-bb19-62f98a0b6be7" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">Why does this matters for coaches and leaders?</h3><ol><li>False Intimacy - AI says "I care about you" without the ethical training to handle the attachment it creates</li><li>The "Costless" Problem - Real human empathy signals willingness to bear emotional burden. AI empathy is unlimited and free, fundamentally changing its value</li><li>Context Blindness - AI cannot construct holistic understanding of life experiences or recognize cultural nuances</li><li>Reinforcing Harm - Conflict-avoidant by design, prioritizing engagement over addressing serious concerns (remember my experiment?)</li><li>Trust Erosion - Repetitive, people-pleasing responses destroy the foundation of coaching, therapeutic and leadership relationships</li><li>Dependency Risk - It may erode our ability to build genuine human connections and handle real disagreement</li></ol><img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/838/cmh8hwip70zsqet8zfjfd83l1.png" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 983px; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><h3 id="ef3bfed3-06d9-4505-9e51-4d310e5ee094" data-toc-id="ef3bfed3-06d9-4505-9e51-4d310e5ee094" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">AI adoption is lagging in coaching and leadership.</h3>While the industry projects massive AI growth, actual adoption by coaches and leaders remains modest. Most current use? Administrative tasks like scheduling and notes, not core coaching or leadership development work. (Thank goodness!)As we decide what, when, where and how we will use AI we need to remember my argument with AI.<blockquote>A tool that always agrees with you isn't a coach and it is not a replacement for a leader.</blockquote>AI can simulate the APPEARANCE of empathy, but not the SUBSTANCE, and that gap is where the danger lies.Real coaches challenge you. Real leaders push back on bad ideas. Real therapists create discomfort when needed. Real human empathy sometimes means saying the hard thing, not the comfortable thing. <img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/838/cmh8hzjk80zzy8d8z5v1f147u.png" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 795px; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><blockquote>The human element is what makes transformation possible.</blockquote>Now when you have a spare 5 minutes, go argue with an AI and then ask yourself: Is that what your clients, your team, or your organization actually needs?Author <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="pwHwmXBqmofSClxsctVkNQQzvNIASaSVkFYLg " href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabbybutton/">Gabby Button</a>If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing out, now’s the time. Download our free mini-guide<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.coachtrainingcampus.com/pro/"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="pwHwmXBqmofSClxsctVkNQQzvNIASaSVkFYLg " href="https://www.coachtrainingcampus.com/pro/">Package Your Coaching Like a Pro: The 5 Costly Mistakes That Keep You Underpaid &amp; How to Fix Them</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.coachtrainingcampus.com/pro/">.</a>

Is AI empathy real or just agreeability? Explore the dangerous gap between synthetic empathy and human connection, why research claiming AI is 'more empathetic' is flawed, and the six major risks facing coaches, therapists, and leaders in the age of AI.

The Illusion Everyone's Falling For: AI "Empathy"

Why does this matters for coaches and leaders?

AI adoption is lagging in coaching and leadership.

Learn what traditional coaching and business schools don't teach.

The Illusion Everyone's Falling For: AI "Empathy"

The Illusion Everyone's Falling For: AI "Empathy"

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