I’ve been looking for great examples of AI being used in new ways to support human development.

There are wonderful examples of AI chatbots for compassion (Happi.ai), wisdom, venting (Pi), Jhana training, and more.

Please email me any new things you see or hear about.

It has been my observation in my coaching practice, mentoring, and observing friends and loved ones that people do not change until their story about themselves changes.

And I, for certain, haven’t changed until my story about myself or a situation changed.

In psychotherapy, this is called Narrative Flexibility.

And refers to the ability of an individual to adapt or change their personal narratives in a way that allows for more adaptive or constructive behaviors, emotions, or thoughts. 

So I was also looking for deeper research around personal narratives and AI.

Turns out Abigail Blyler and Martin Seligman, known as the father of positive psychology, have started researching it with a study that gathers 50 stream of consciousness thoughts from clients and then uses AI to construct a Personal Narrative!  

What I love about their research is that it suggests a path that supports both the client and the therapist.  

Clients found the narratives useful, surprising, and accurate. 

And for therapists, we don’t have enough of these important humans so anything that helps them serve a wider circle of people is needed.

Blyler and Seligman write, “Since coaching and therapy typically involve a great deal of initial time spent fleshing out such an identity, deriving this automatically from 50 thoughts represents a major saving.” 

I’d love to see research or companies that are moving AI and Human development applications forward. 

You can message me on LI if that’s easier. 

Love, N

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AI assistance for coaches and therapists

We found previously that ChatGPT-4 could use 50 stream-of-consciousness thoughts to make the latent construct of narrative identity explicit. We now demonstrate this as a tool for interventions by coaches and therapists. Using five narrative identities, ChatGPT-4 recommended actionable strategies and interventions tailored to the narrative identity. Artificial intelligence (AI) can thus support coaches and therapists by crafting personalized approaches drawing on the person’s narrative identity. This new assistive tool may help clients achieve greater insight, growth and well-being.

Author: Erica Moser
Source: University of Pennsylvania
Original Research – Open access: “AI assistance for coaches and therapists” by Abigail Blyler et al. Journal of Positive Psychology
Open access: “Personal narrative and stream of consciousness: an AI approach” by Abigail Blyler et al. Journal of Positive Psychology
Article on Neuroscience News: ChatGPT’s Role in Shaping Identity and Personal Narratives