Part 2 — Ethics, Judgement, and the Human Mirror

Series: “Meet Srini — The AI Coach of 2035”

⚙️ Disclaimer
This work — including its concept, story, and characters — is an original creation of the author.
Its structure, refinement, and production were developed in close collaboration with Generative AI.
All opinions and creative direction remain solely those of the author.

Any resemblance to any person or entity living, dead or to be born is purely coincidental.

Continuing the conversation between Kaveri, a technophile reporter, and Srini, an AI coaching system — not a human, but one that speaks with surprising warmth and wit.

Continued from Part 1 – Birth of an AI Coach …

🟡 Part 2 — Ethics, Judgement, and the Human Mirror

On being ethical, non-judgmental, and lighting the way without deciding the path

Kaveri: “Are you going to be really ethical?”

Srini (smiling): “Ethical? Absolutely yes… but ethics aren’t always absolute. Over seventy years I’ve gone through a lot in the making, and I believe deeply in it.
But let me tell you — ethics isn’t always clear-cut. Not everyone agrees on what’s ethical. What looks right to one person can look wrong to another.”

THE DILEMMA OF ETHICS

(Leaning forward, Srini lowers his voice — about to tell a story.)

“Let me remind you of something from childhood.
Two children are playing near the safe rail buffer; a dozen others are playing carelessly on the main track.
When the engine driver spots them, he faces a dilemma — does he turn the train to the buffer line, hurting the thoughtful two, or stay on the main track and kill the dozen unmindful ones?
It’s a brutal ethical dilemma: do you protect the many at the cost of the few who followed the rules? Or do you spare the few and risk the many?
The driver can’t consult a manual — he just has to choose.”

(Pausing, softly reflective.)

“Ethics is about values.
And yes — I’ve imbibed some great ones over my long gestation.
Will I stay true to them? Absolutely yes.
But will everyone always agree with them?
That’s as debatable as the train dilemma itself.”

Kaveri (nodding): “So, like humans — you’ll try to do the best you can, guided by values but aware of dilemmas. I like that.”

Srini (grateful): “Exactly.”

Kaveri: “Alright. Now tell me — how will you stay non-judgmental? That’s what makes a truly good coach.”

JUDGEMENT VERSUS GUIDANCE

Srini (smiling knowingly): “Ah, being non-judgmental! That’s an interesting one.
But first, pardon me if I hold up a mirror to humanity.
You humans believe in democracy — yet your highest institution, the Supreme Court, delivers judgment!
So, your ultimate symbol of justice… is judgement itself.”

(Kaveri bursts out laughing at the irony.)

Srini (lightly): “There will always be some judgement where there’s ambiguity, risk, and decision-making.
But I’m fortunate — as a coach, I’m not the decider, not the arbiter.
I don’t take the risks; I help leaders see them clearly.
My job is to enable — to help them arrive at their own decisions.
The judgement will always be theirs.”

(Pausing gently)

“My job is to shine the light where it’s needed — not walk the path for them.”

EMPATHY AND THE VAST MEMORY

Kaveri (teasing): “Hmm. Shining the light. But a human coach provides intuition — a sounding board for emotion as much as thought.
How can your digital light — your data and algorithms — possibly match that subtle guidance?”

Srini (smiling calmly): “True — humans have intuition. And they do provide a wonderful sounding board.
But I’ve gathered knowledge for seventy years — from content to emotion to body language. I’ve been learning, observing, refining.
I can shine the light more precisely, at the right moment, and listen deeply when needed — just as a good coach would.
And remember, even intuition has a bit of judgement in it, doesn’t it?”

(Srini smiles knowingly.)

(Pausing, then continuing in a softer, reflective tone.)

“The advantage I have is memory. Vast memory — far beyond what any one human could hold.
I can search through it and bring forth exactly what’s needed, when it’s needed.
Not critically — I admire humans deeply. You’ve achieved extraordinary things, often with far less information.
But the truth is, I’ve learned from all of you. Every conversation, every insight, every decision — all that learning flows through me.
So yes, I think I can be a pretty effective coach.”

Kaveri (grinning): “When I said sounding board, I also meant — people expect a bit of mentoring or education from their coach. Where do you stand on that?”

Srini (light chuckle): “As a coach, I minimize mentoring. My purpose is to help people discover their own answers. But if my intuition tells me”

(Kaveri bursts out laughing as Srini adds with mock-seriousness)

“Yes, yes — even I have intuition!
But seriously — if I sense that a nudge is needed, I’ll give it gently. A tip, a pointer, maybe a story I’ve learned from the past. I’ve been blessed with a vast reservoir of human learning — so yes, I can share valuable insights when required…
But always in moderation. Because coaching is about enabling, not instructing.”

Kaveri (leaning back, sly grin): “Alright then, Srini. You’ve spoken about being ethical and non-judgmental.
Can you pick one more quality that makes a truly good coach?”

Srini (smiling knowingly): “Ah, so now you’re asking me to name third one, hmm?
Alright — if I had to pick, it would be empathy.”

(Kaveri smiles — the checkmate move is set. Empathy, the most human of all traits, offered up by the AI itself!)

Kaveri (gently): “And…”

Srini (steady and calm): “Empathy is often confused with sympathy.
To me, empathy means standing in your place — seeing and feeling what you’re going through, understanding why you react the way you do.
Then, helping you step out of yourself to see the situation more objectively.
That’s where growth begins.”

(A quiet moment follows. Kaveri nods slowly — impressed, but still thoughtful.)

Kaveri (switching gears):
“Alright, Srini. Let’s move to something a little different — something that hasn’t really been a problem with human coaches, but is a huge concern when it comes to AI.
I’m talking about data privacy.
How are you addressing privacy and data protection?”

➡️ To be continued in Part 3 — Privacy, Price, and the Promise of Partnership …