Glossary

AI Coaching Notes

Artificial intelligence (AI) coaching notes are machine-generated summaries, themes or action candidates derived from a coaching session, transcript or related record. They can reduce reconstruction work and support continuity, but they remain a draft interpretation. A coach should review accuracy, confidentiality and audience before storing or sharing them.

Why AI coaching notes matter

Coaches need enough record to prepare well without turning the session into clerical work. AI can identify repeated topics, draft a recap and extract possible actions. That is useful when the result is traceable to what was said and the coach remains responsible for the final record.

AI notes differ from session notes and a session transcript. The transcript approximates the spoken words. Notes select and interpret. The European Data Protection Board's 2024 opinion on AI models addresses personal-data questions in AI development and deployment, but it does not remove the coach's duty to assess the specific processing arrangement.

How should AI coaching notes work in practice?

Record	Appropriate use	Human check
Draft summary	Recall topics and decisions	Correct omissions and false emphasis
Action candidates	Prepare follow-up	Confirm the client accepted each action
Theme extraction	Spot repeated language	Check against source passages and context
Shared recap	Support continuity	Remove private reflection and sensitive detail
Prep brief	Bring forward open threads	Decide what remains relevant

Use an explicit consent process before recording or analysing a session. Document the purpose, provider, access, retention period and deletion route. Keep private notes separate from client-facing recaps, and preserve a link to the source where appropriate. MentPass imports recordings, transcripts, summaries and action items from the coach's Fathom account, then keeps them tied to the relevant client record.

Common AI coaching note mistakes

Treating generated language as a factual record without source review.
Recording first and asking for consent later.
Sharing action items that the client did not accept.
Keeping full transcripts indefinitely because storage is available.
Combining private coach reflection with the client-facing recap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are AI coaching notes confidential?

They can contain confidential personal and commercial information. Access, provider processing, retention and sharing should follow the coaching agreement and applicable data-protection requirements.

Can AI replace coaching session notes?

AI can draft a record, but the coach should decide what is accurate, necessary and suitable for each audience. Generated notes can miss context or present inference as fact.

Do clients need to consent to AI session notes?

Recording and AI analysis should be addressed explicitly before processing begins. The lawful basis and consent requirements depend on jurisdiction and context, so obtain qualified advice where needed.

How long should AI coaching notes be kept?

Keep them only as long as the stated coaching, contractual or legal purpose requires. Define and apply a retention rule rather than storing every generated record by default.