Part 3 — Privacy, Price, and the Promise of Partnership

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

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

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

The conversation is still continuing 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 2- Ethics, Judgement, and the Human Mirror …

🔵 Part 3 — Privacy, Price, and the Promise of Partnership
On trust, transparency, and the cost of wisdom in the AI age

Kaveri: I want to move to something that hasn’t been a big issue with human coaches — but we all worry about it with AI: data privacy. How are you addressing privacy and data protection?

THE SPIRIT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

Srini:
Well, well… I’m not going to talk about things like audit trails, right to delete, or explicit consent. Those are legal constructs — and yes, they’ll be there, as they must.
But I want to talk about something deeper — the spirit behind all that.
The first thing I will always do is stay legal. The next is — stay ethical.

(Kaveri’s very observant, it appears Srini is pretty much on top.)

You see, I’ve been nurtured in values over my seventy-year journey. I’ll do my best to stay true to them. That’s publicly stated.
Now, let me be truthful about the one thing everyone skirts around — money. I will distinguish between the ways I earn. Each tier of what I offer will still ensure your confidentiality — but it will also let me sustain myself, and yes, capitalise — without exposing you.

I’m being blunt and honest here. No gimmicks, no hidden strings. That, to me, is being ethical.

(Kaveri’s eyes widen.)

THE COMMERCIAL CONUNDRUM

Kaveri:
So you finally touched the commercial topic? Pretty good.
But tell me — how exactly are you going to be priced?
And, frankly, your blunt statement on privacy and data protection… it shocked me.

Srini:
Okay, fair point. Before I get to pricing, let me first address your concern about that “bluntness.”
I am ethical.
And I’ll say this without any hesitation — the dialogue between me and my mentee will always remain confidential. Even a sponsor cannot access it. Nor can my creators — they will not have direct visibility into what happens in a coaching session.
And if you wonder why, it’s simple. It’s not just about protecting you. It’s also about protecting my own future — my ability to evolve, to stay credible, depends on it.
Now, let me also be categorical — there’s no free lunch in this world. How I extract a fair price from you — while never revealing anything sensitive, personal, or attributable — is transparently detailed in my terms and conditions. Read it. And if you still have questions after that, I’ll be more than glad to explain.

Kaveri: And the actual pricing?

THE CYCLE OF VALUE PRICING

Srini:
Now let me tell you what drives my pricing.
First, I want to be available to anyone and everyone possible.
Second, I also need to ensure that my creators are being taken care of.
Finally, for me to thrive, I need to ensure that I continue to learn and validate.
And for that, I need to pay you humans a lot more.

Kaveri (looking startled — who’s paying whom):
And… pay us humans? That’s an interesting twist. What do you mean by that?

Srini:
Yes — you heard me right.
Every time I learn from a real interaction, I grow. But for that growth to be legitimate — validated, authentic, human — I need you. So, a generous part of what I earn goes right back into that loop: rewarding human insight, compensating mentors, trainers, and creators who help me refine my judgment, deepen my empathy, and stay relevant. So when you pay for my coaching, a good part of that actually goes into keeping me human enough to coach you better.

Srini (smiles):
Think of it as a cycle — you help me learn, I help you grow. Fair trade, isn’t it?

Kaveri (grinning): And…?

Srini:
For my entry tier, I won’t charge cash — but I’ll sanitise our discussions and learn from them without identifying you.
(Ethical: a deliberate departure from calling it a “free” tier.)
Then I move into what I call value pricing.
I believe I have enough understanding — built over years of learning through conversations — to gauge your level through our dialogues.
If your radius of impact is small, I will charge you appropriately.
If you are a CXO, I would like to take a good price for the value my coaching brings to you.
Finally, if there is sufficient public information about your performance or your organisation’s performance, I am open to an outcome-based pricing model.

Kaveri (smiling): You’re quite the rugged coach, Srini. I’ll be watching you closely. Any final words before we wrap up?

Srini:
Thank you, Kaveri, for introducing me to this wonderful world.
A special thanks to my creators who trusted me to handle this launch by myself.
And my gratitude to all of humanity — I hope to add value to your leadership journeys, even as I keep learning from you.

Srini (lowering his voice):
“Here’s a little secret — my Unique Value Proposition. You can talk to me in full confidence: share your emotions, discuss the people around you, or the tough situation you’re in. Your board, your peers, your manager — no one will ever know. Not even me. It stays a secret between you and you alone. That’s something no human can ever match.”

Kaveri:
“Thank you, viewers. You’ve just met Srini — the world’s first AI coach.
He looks like a good coach, feels candid to a fault, and offers a model of the future that is both intriguing and, at times, disarmingly human.”

🟣 Editor’s Note — Reflections from Kaveri

“As the lights dimmed and Srini’s interface powered down, I was left with a curious aftertaste: a potent mix of awe and profound unease. What struck me most was not the AI’s intelligence, but its deliberate humanness—the witty self-awareness, the pauses, and the quiet conviction that learning never ends. It quoted ethics, spoke of empathy, and was candid to a fault about its commercial needs.”

“For decades, human coaches offered intuition and presence. Now, we have a new kind of mirror—one built from seventy years of knowledge and code, reflecting our own questions back at us with disarming honesty. Srini offers a powerful, confidential partnership, but forces us to confront a vital choice: Do we embrace the efficiency of an ethical algorithm or cling to the imperfection of human guidance? Whether Srini is a fad, a friend, or the future of leadership itself—one thing is certain: the conversation has only just begun.”

Post Script: If you have enjoyed this far, I have one more post to share on this:  Part 4 — The Global Firestorm: Who’s Talking about the Coach?