Responsible use of AI

Artificial intelligence is developing quickly and can be valuable in supporting professional coaching, education, reflection, research and administration.

I also believe that coaching and coach education are fundamentally human endeavours. Relationship, presence, professional judgement, ethical responsibility and the capacity to work thoughtfully with another person cannot simply be delegated to technology.



My approach is therefore to use AI thoughtfully, transparently and with appropriate safeguards, while retaining personal responsibility for my professional judgement and for the quality, confidentiality and integrity of my work.

I am an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and work both with coaching clients and within ICF-accredited coach education. My use of AI is guided by the ICF Code of Ethics, the ICF Artificial Intelligence Coaching Framework and Standards, applicable data protection requirements and the policies and agreements of organisations for whom I work.

AI tools may support aspects of my work including:

• administration, scheduling and organisation;
• transcription or note-taking where its use has been appropriately agreed;
• structuring or drafting coaching or mentoring summaries;
• research, learning and professional development;
• developing teaching materials, exercises, questions and resources;
• organising information or identifying themes for further consideration;
• supporting the preparation of educational or assessment feedback;
• drafting or refining written, presentation and marketing material.

AI may help me process, organise or think about information.

It does not replace my professional judgement, ethical responsibility or relationship with the people I work with.

Coaching conversations are confidential within the boundaries agreed at the beginning of the coaching relationship.

Where a coaching session is recorded, transcribed or processed using an AI-enabled tool, I will make this clear and agree its use with the client.

Clients can ask for a session not to be recorded, transcribed or processed through an AI tool without this affecting our coaching relationship.

I seek to use only the information reasonably necessary for a particular purpose and to minimise or anonymise identifiable client information wherever practicable.

Records are handled in accordance with my professional confidentiality obligations, applicable data protection requirements and my privacy arrangements.

AI-generated material is not automatically treated as accurate. Where AI contributes to something I use professionally, I remain responsible for reviewing its accuracy, relevance and appropriateness.

My work also includes teaching, mentoring and assessing coaches, including work undertaken with Evolution Coaching Academy (ECA).

In this context, AI may support activities such as:

• preparing teaching materials and learning resources;
• organising course content;
• researching professional coaching topics;
• structuring my notes;
• reviewing transcripts or other learning material where its use is permitted;
• assisting in the preparation and organisation of feedback;
• comparing evidence with established competency frameworks or assessment criteria.

The distinction between AI assistance and professional judgement is particularly important in education and assessment.

AI does not determine whether a student or coach has demonstrated an ICF competency, achieved an assessment standard or passed a professional assessment.

Where I am acting as an educator, mentor coach or assessor, I remain personally responsible for the feedback, assessment and professional judgement I provide.

AI-generated interpretations, observations or suggestions are treated as inputs for consideration rather than evidence in themselves.

Where recordings, transcripts or other identifiable student material are involved, I will work within the consent, confidentiality, privacy and data-handling arrangements established for the programme concerned.

When working on behalf of Evolution Coaching Academy or another organisation, their relevant policies, agreements and data-protection arrangements also apply. This policy describes my own professional use of AI and does not replace or represent the policies of those organisations.

Coaching recordings and transcripts can contain highly personal information. Student coaching recordings may also involve information belonging to third-party coaching clients.

I therefore take particular care when using AI with this material.

I will seek to:

• use only material necessary for the professional purpose involved;
• minimise identifiable personal information wherever practicable;
• use appropriate privacy and security settings;
• avoid unnecessary retention or duplication of recordings and transcripts;
• respect the permissions under which material was originally provided; and
• avoid using confidential material for unrelated purposes.

Material supplied for learning, mentoring or assessment will not knowingly be repurposed for marketing, demonstration or unrelated AI experimentation without appropriate permission.

If my use of a particular AI tool would involve a person's identifiable, confidential coaching, mentoring or educational information, I will seek to ensure that its purpose and use are appropriately understood.

People I work with are welcome to ask:



• whether AI is being used;
• what it is being used for;
• whether their information is involved;
• how human judgement is being applied; and
• what alternatives may be available.

Technology should support the professional relationship, not quietly replace parts of it.

The AI Coach available through my website is an AI-based reflection tool operating within ChatGPT.

It is separate from coaching with me personally and should not be understood as an ICF credentialed coach or as a substitute for a professional coaching relationship.

Its purpose is to encourage reflection, questioning and exploration.

Conversations with the AI Coach are processed within ChatGPT and are subject to OpenAI's terms, privacy practices and the data controls associated with the user's ChatGPT account.

As the creator of the GPT, I cannot view individual conversations users have with it.

Users should exercise their own judgement about the personal, commercially sensitive or confidential information they choose to enter into any AI system.

The AI Coach should not be relied upon for medical, psychological, legal, financial or other professional advice or for emergency or crisis support.

Whatever technology I use, professional accountability remains with me.

This means that I remain responsible for:



• what I say to a client;
• the coaching interventions I make;
• the feedback I provide;
• what I teach;
• the assessment judgements I make;
• the confidentiality of the relationships entrusted to me; and
• checking material generated or supported by AI before relying upon it professionally.

AI can extend my thinking. It does not inherit my professional responsibilities.

My use of AI will continue to evolve as technology, professional standards, regulation and good practice develop.

I will periodically review the tools I use and this policy, considering:

• confidentiality and data protection;
• security and data minimisation;
• transparency and informed choice;
• potential bias;
• accuracy and reliability;
• intellectual property and appropriate attribution;
• the integrity of learning and professional assessment;
• appropriate human oversight; and
• the continuing value of AI to the people I work with.

My guiding principle is simple:

AI may support the work. It does not take responsibility for the work. I do.

Last reviewed: September 2026

Matthew Porter

ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

Matthew Porter Coaching Ltd