AI in Coaching Glossary
The way we speak about technology shapes how we use it. As we bridge the worlds of professional coaching and artificial intelligence, clarity is our most valuable asset. To build a future that remains human-first, we must first agree on a shared, precise language.
We are making the Viva la Coaching AI Glossary public to move beyond the noise of hype and toward a common understanding. This is not just a list of definitions; it is a foundation for responsible decision-making and ethical practice.
Research-Grounded: The majority of terms is rooted in AI in coaching research and foundational computer science papers and resources.
Practice-Oriented: Translated for real-world application, ensuring you can lead the conversation with confidence and credibility.
A Living Resource: As technology and research evolve, so will this glossary, reflecting our commitment to collective intelligence.
We invite you to use these terms to strengthen your grounded thinking, guide your practice, and help us shape the future of coaching with integrity.
Source Transparency: A full list of the research papers and technical documentation used to compile this glossary is available at the bottom of this page
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Sources List
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Babu, M. V. S., & Banana, K. R. I. S. H. N. A. (2024). A study on narrow artificial intelligence—An overview. Int. J. Eng. Sci. Adv. Technol, 24, 210-219. https://ijesat.com/ijesat/files/V24I0428_1714383466.pdf
Ferrario, A., Vinay, R., Casserini, M., & Facchini, A. (2026). A Scoping Review of the Ethical Perspectives on Anthropomorphising Large Language Model-Based Conversational Agents. arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.09869. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.09869
Iordanou, I., Hawley, R., & Iordanou, C. (2020). Coaching ethics, Radar Brookes
https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/2a2eba8c-7fa2-402e-ba85-56fa4b833c74/1/Coaching%20ethics%20-%209780367539207%20-%202020%20-%20Iordanou%20Hawley.pdf
Turner, T. S., & McTaggart, J. M. (2025). Socioaffective Alignment in Human-AI Interaction: Structuring Relational Integration and Ethical Adaptation. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1-26.
Buck, I. & Weßels, D. (2025). Gut geführt = gut geschrieben? ‘AI Leadership’ als relevante Kompetenz in der Kollaboration mit KI-Tools. In G. Brägger & H.-G. Rolff (Hrsg.), Handbuch Lernen mit digitalen Medien. Wege der Transformation (S. 863-880). Weinheim, Basel: Beltz
Barger, A. S. (2025). Artificial intelligence vs. human coaches: examining the development of working alliance in a single session. Frontiers in Psychology, 15.
Cronje, J. P., Terblanche, N., & Theron-Wepener, M. (2025). Coaching and mentoring to foster self-efficacy for early-stage survival-driven entrepreneurs. South African Journal of Business Management, 56(1).
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Mai, V., Neef, C., & Richert, A. (2022). “Clicking vs. Writing”—The Impact of a Chatbot’s Interaction Method on the Working Alliance in AI-based Coaching. Coaching Theor. Prax., 8, 15–31.
Mai, V., & Richert, A. (2025). Von digitalen Assistenten zu vertrauensvollen Partnern: Wie Künstliche Intelligenz Studierende im akademischen Mentoring qualitätsorientiert unterstützen kann. HQS.
Passmore, J., Olafsson, B., & Tee, D. (2025). A systematic literature review of artificial intelligence (AI) in coaching: insights for future research and product development. Journal of Work-Applied Management.
Passmore, J., Tee, D., & Rutschman, R. (2025). ‘Getting better all the time’: Using professional human coach competencies to evaluate the quality of AI coaching agent performance. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Practice & Research.
Passmore, J., & Woodward, W. (2023). Coaching education: Wake up to the new digital and AI coaching revolution! International Coaching Psychology Review, 18(1), 58-72.
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Terblanche, N. (2020). A design framework to create Artificial Intelligence Coaches. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 18(2), 152-165.
Terblanche, N., & Kidd, M. (2022). Adoption factors and moderating effects of age and gender that influence the intention to use a non-directive reflective coaching chatbot. SAGE Open, 12(2).
Terblanche, N., Molyn, J., De Haan, E., & Nilsson, V. O. (2022). Comparing artificial intelligence and human coaching goal attainment efficacy. PLoS ONE, 17(6).
Terblanche, N., & Prywes, Y. (2025). An exploration of the role of visuals and users’ imagery and verbal preferences on goal attainment and coaching chatbot adoption. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 23(1), 205-221.
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