So This A.I. I Walked Into a Bar
Author: Gil Friend Issue: 2024-05-15
So This A.I. & I Walked Into a Bar…
by Gil Friend
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As many of you know, I’ve been focusing lately on providing 1:1 coaching for leaders and emerging leaders—helping executives, founders, investors, creators, activists—especially people committed to a world that works—have more impact, success, sanity, and joy.
It’s been exceptionally valuable for my clients—one of whom called our work together “one of the best business investments I’ve made, ever”—and deeply gratifying for me. But the limits of client budgets and my availability mean that I can only serve a few people in this direct way. (If you might be one of them, let’s talk!) So I’ve been exploring how to share my experience, perspectives, and insights more widely—and less expensively. Which has brought me to this experiment, which I’d like to share with you now.
For the last six months, Alex Kladitis and I have been hard at work in an AI sandbox, training, testing and refining a generative language model trained on my writing and speaking on “strategic sustainability,” and anonymized conversations with many of my coaching clients.
Why? To learn by doing, which is often the best way for me to learn. To explore how to make my 50+ years of experience, perspective, and insights on the sustainability/regeneration/business/transformation front lines more widely and richly available. To see whether we can make a useful version of the experience of working with me directly—as an executive coach and strategic advisor—available to more people than I could ever work with one-on-one.
I’ve learned a ton—both about what this fast-moving technology can—and can’t—do, and, to my surprise, about what and how I do what I do, too.
There’s plenty more refining to do (and probably always will be) but we’ve decided that it’s time for early release of this AI synthesis/simulation of me. We’re still loading content and refining how it works, but you can take it for a spin here. (And build your own here!)
I asked it for an explanation of what it is and what it does:
“What is ‘ontological/ecological/strategic executive coaching?’ How does it differ from other coaching? Why might I want it? How might it help me? “
Here’s how it responded:
“Ontological/ecological/strategic executive coaching integrates deep understanding of being (ontology), interconnected systems (ecology), and purposeful action (strategy) to enhance leadership effectiveness. Unlike traditional coaching, which often focuses on specific skills or goals, this approach fosters profound shifts in awareness and capability, aligning personal and organizational actions with broader ecological realities and ethical imperatives. You might seek this if you aim to lead with greater clarity, impact, and alignment with global sustainability. It helps by transforming your foundational assumptions and actions, enabling you to navigate complex challenges innovatively and ethically.”
Pretty tight, right?!
So try it out. Work it hard! Use it as your personal coach and advisor—as though you were in an actual conversation with me. Ask “me” anything, 24/7. My main suggestion to you: Engage it as a conversation partner, with plenty of back and forth, not as an oracle or one-trick pony. My only request of you: Please give me your frank assessment of your experience, and your suggestions for how to improve it.
Because my intention here isn’t artificial intelligence, nor even simulated intelligence, but something more like “augmented intelligence”—helping us all become smarter and more effective at the work we need to do to meet the challenges we face.
Related:
- Gil Friend (author)
- 2024 (year)
- Topics: AI and Technology