Could AI Revolutionize How We Give & Receive Feedback?
As I sit in a large, chilly conference center in Chicago, listening to discussions on the present and future state of artificial intelligence, a comment from a panelist speaker catches my attention. From the stage they state, “I’m here because, as a child, my teacher told me not to worry about the internet—it wasn’t going to last.” It resonates deeply. We often fear what we don’t understand, hoping that it will simply pass us by. What was once anxiety over the internet’s impact has evolved into today’s apprehension toward AI in classrooms, workplaces, and beyond.
But as the summit unfolds, an interactive AI platform strikes me on a level that blends intellectual curiosity with genuine emotion. It’s called School Joy—a deceptively simple practice-ground for challenging conversations. Picture this: you need to have a difficult conversation with a struggling student, a hesitant donor, or an employee who’s underperforming. Using School Joy, AI takes on the role of the student, the donor, or the employee, allowing you to simulate the conversation. At the end of this practice, it delivers a detailed rubric with a performance score and constructive feedback for improvement.
Watching one of these role-plays between a teacher and a disengaged student stirred up palpable emotion in the audience. The realism was almost too close to home, showing both the potential of AI and the gaps in our approach to these conversations. It wasn’t just the platform’s technical precision that impressed me, but rather the often-unspoken value of sparing the user’s ego. This platform allows leaders, teachers, fundraisers, and managers to receive feedback in a way that’s honest yet stripped of judgment.
One of the greatest obstacles to personal and professional growth is the ego’s reluctance to be vulnerable. We live in a society where individual performance is prized, weakness is hidden, and growth is too often confused with failure. In that context, constructive criticism can feel like a personal blow. But imagine a world where AI allows us to receive objective, growth-oriented feedback without risking our self-esteem. Here lies the revolutionary potential of AI—not just to guide and support, but to remove the ego from the learning process, giving us room to improve openly and without fear.
Imagine a world where leaders hone their skills in challenging conversations, receiving AI feedback that makes them more empathetic, effective, and self-assured—without the pressure of maintaining a flawless front. Or think of a development team refining their pitches to funders through repeated AI-guided practice, becoming increasingly persuasive without the sting of live critique.
In this world, growth becomes not an exercise in perfection, but in genuine learning and adaptability. With AI as a non-judgmental mirror, leaders have the space to make mistakes, learn, and ultimately become the confident, skilled guides our organizations and communities need. Through AI, the act of giving and receiving feedback could shift from a source of vulnerability to one of empowerment—a fundamental shift that may redefine leadership itself.
Much like the World Wide Web, artificial intelligence is here to stay—and it will only continue to expand. Just as the first small step on the moon marked a giant leap for humankind, we can harness AI to strengthen our connections with one another and deepen our understanding of the world around us.
->Stay fierce, stay focused, and keep blazing those trails!
