Will Chatbots Replace Mentors?: Tips for Navigating a Disruptive Technology
By Jean Rhodes
The term “disruptive technology” has been used to describe innovations that fundamentally transform markets by making complex services simple and expensive products more affordable (Christensen, 1997). This process typically unfolds when new technologies offer different value propositions that are initially inferior in traditional performance metrics but excel in other dimensions such as accessibility, convenience, or affordability. There are many examples of disruptive technologies in our lives. Personal computers disrupted mainframe computers and smartphones displaced cell phones and cameras, etc.. In education, online learning platforms have begun disrupting traditional classroom instruction by providing flexible, scalable alternatives that reach learners previously excluded from formal education. And now, artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived as a potential disrupter of traditional mentoring programs.
Mentoring programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters have been operating more or less the same way since the early 1900, recruiting and arranging caring human connections and providing training, support, and oversight. Despite its staying power, this approach appears to satisfy the conditions that, according to researchers, enable disruptive innovation to take root and flourish. First, traditional mentoring programs face significant challenges in meeting demand, with programs reporting an average of 50 youth on waitlists and nearly half indicating wait times exceeding four months for boys . Federal funding has declined (MENTOR, 2024) and is likely to continue to do so in the context of government reforms. These resource constraints are compounded by persistent challenges in mentor recruitment, cited as the primary obstacle by 47% of programs . Furthermore, the mentoring gap has widened, with members of Generation Z reporting less access to mentoring resources than previous generations, particularly among Native American youth where only 57% report having had a mentor.
Enter AI and the fact that young people are increasingly turning to Chat GPT and other tools for the type of support traditionally provided by caring adults, peers and other mentors. Recent research reveals that 73% of teenagers have used AI companions, with 28% specifically seeking emotional support. Adolescents view AI as offering unique benefits including 24/7 availability, anonymity, and freedom from judgment. Young adults report using AI chatbots as personal therapists, mentors, and coaches, appreciating their accessibility and ability to provide immediate, tailored responses to mental health concerns (Siltala et al., 2025). This trend is particularly pronounced among Generation Z, with 36% expressing interest in using AI for mental health support compared to 28% of other generations .
Programs can either ignore this AI disruption or proactively embrace and integrate it in ways that improve and extend their impact. Done right, the integration of AI into mentoring could be an extraordinary opportunity to address longstanding challenges while preserving the essential human elements that make mentoring transformative. For example, rather than mentee-facing chatbots, AI-powered mentoring assistants could provide personalized, data-informed summaries and expert, evidence-based guidance to mentors and staff in ways that improve their efficacy and efficiency while preserving authentic human connections.
So, the question is not whether or not AI will disrupt mentoring. It will. As we stand at this crossroads, the mentoring field must decide whether to embrace AI strategically or risk losing relevance.
See also this thoughtful piece by Julia Freeland Fisher.
