What Do Counseling Students Ask Artificial Intelligence Exploring AI as a Micro-Supervision Tool in Counselor Education

This phenomenological study examines the interactions between undergraduate counseling students and artificial intelligence (AI) systems and the role of these interactions in their professional learning. The sample included 15 senior undergraduate counseling students at a public university. We collected the data using a semi-structured interview form, and the data were analyzed through content analysis. Students’ experiences with AI were grouped into four main themes: (1) positioning AI as an immediately accessible learning partner, (2) using AI for support when they experience difficulties in their professional development, (3) the emergence of AI as a micro-supervision–like support space, and (4) perceiving AI as a useful yet limited learning tool. Participants reported using AI to prepare for their counseling sessions, evaluate possible intervention strategies, review ethical boundaries, and reflect on their professional decisions. However, they identified some important limitations of their AI use: concerns related to the reliability of AI-generated responses, their contextual adequacy, and their inability to provide the emotional depth typically offered by human supervision. To sum up, our findings suggest that when used critically and ethically, AI may function as a complementary micro-supervision space in counselor education.