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Human. AI. And Something Neither Can Do Alone, with Jonathan Kirschner
05/15/2026
Human. AI. And Something Neither Can Do Alone, with Jonathan Kirschner
What if the most powerful coaching relationship in the future involves three parties — a human coach, an AI, and the space between them that neither could create alone? Jonathan Kirschner has been thinking about this longer than most. He built AIIR (Assessment, Insight, Implementation, Reinforcement) in 2009 to bring behavioral science and structure to what Harvard Business Review called "the Wild West of executive coaching." Now, nearly two decades in, he's at the frontier again — this time asking how AI and human coaching can combine into something genuinely greater than either. His answer: Aeron, AIIR's AI digital coach assistant. Meridian, their AI-powered assessment debriefer. And a firm belief that 1+1=3 — but only if you're intentional about it. Because there's a trap. Coaches who delegate cognitive work to AI and pocket only the time savings? Jonathan's hypothesis is blunt: we'll get dumber. The edge isn't in the tools. It's in what you grow into when the tools take the heavy lifting. Rebecca, your host, and Jonathan also dig into agentic AI as the real breakthrough for sustaining behavioral change, the uncanny valley of AI persona design (and why naming your AI is harder than it sounds), and why the number one challenge for leaders right now isn't strategy — it's finding clarity when the ground won't stop moving. He closes with a grounding practice that requires zero technology and zero budget. Just breath. In this episode: The 1+1=3 case for human-AI coaching collaboration Why efficiency without depth is a slow kind of atrophy Agentic AI and the future of long-term behavior change Leading through constant uncertainty — and staying grounded The uncanny valley, AI personas, and the politics of naming Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Find out more:
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