We are pleased to announce that our full paper "Virtual Coaches, Real Challenges: An Ethical Guide for AI-Based Virtual Coaches in Educational Settings" by Daniel Davydov, Falco Korn, and Frederik Ahlemann has been accepted for publication and presentation at the 21st International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI2026), taking place in September 2026 at Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.

The paper examines the ethical implications of AI-based virtual coaches in education and develops an education-specific guideline framework that bridges ethical theory and domain-specific challenges. Combining a review of prior research with twelve expert interviews, the study analyzes existing AI ethics frameworks, identifies critical gaps, and derives actionable guidance for educational settings. Its central contribution addresses the relational, pedagogical, and developmental dynamics of AI-mediated coaching; mechanisms that general AI ethics frameworks tend to overlook. The work offers concrete orientation for developers, educators, and policymakers seeking to integrate AI responsibly into education.

Congratulations to the authors! We look forward to the discussions in Linz!