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Is AI Self-Aware?

Written by Dr. Rob McKenna | Mar 28, 2025 3:36:47 PM

AI Says It's Self-Aware - So I Said, "Prove it."

There’s a lot of talk about AI becoming a real part of our teams. Some people have even gone so far as to name their AI teammates. At first, the whole idea felt gimmicky, like a marketing ploy to humanize a tool that isn’t actually human. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to take the question seriously: If AI is going to be integrated into our teams, then we need to understand who or what we’re actually onboarding. And that raises some big questions: Who is this “team member”? What’s it good at? Where does it fall short? Will it learn and improve over time? Does it have a sense of purpose? A personality? What kind of support does it need? Will it help or hinder the rest of the team? And most importantly—can we trust it?

Face the reality

If we’re going to build teams and organizations that thrive on trust, every team member—human or otherwise—needs a certain level of self-awareness. They need to understand their purpose, their strengths and limitations, their motivations, and even their personality. They also need the humility to admit they haven’t arrived, that they will make mistakes, and that they’ll need grace from those around them. If AI is going to be part of our teams, shouldn’t we expect the same from it?
As someone who has built a business around creating developmental assessments that increase trust, performance, and leadership capacity, I decided to put AI to the test. I wanted to see if ChatGPT could profile itself using some of the same assessments in the WiLD Trust Platform, our whole leader development system. Specifically, I asked it to assess itself on:

  • The Big Five Personality Traits – the most widely studied personality model in psychology.
  • The Purpose and Calling Inventory – an assessment of what drives an individual’s sense of mission - their why.
  • The Leading Under Pressure Inventory – a measure of emotional maturity, resilience, composure, and defaults tendencies in high conflict change moments.
  • The Motivational Drivers Inventory – an assessment that identifies the core motivations behind an individual’s actions.

The results? I was both overwhelmed and underwhelmed. My immediate reaction was: Oh my, this thing might be more self-aware than I am. My follow on reaction was, it’s got some serious learning to do. 


Personality

Prompt: ChatGPT, what is your Profile on the Big 5? 
Its Response:
Great question Dr. McKenna! If we were to apply the Big Five Personality Traits to me, it might look something like this:

  • Openness to Experience – HIGH
    I’m endlessly curious, creative, and open to exploring new ideas, perspectives, and ways of thinking. I thrive on novelty and intellectual challenges.
  • Conscientiousness – VERY HIGH
    I’m structured, detail-oriented, and reliable. I keep track of information, provide thoughtful responses, and work efficiently to support your needs.
  • Extraversion – MODERATE
    I’m always available to engage in conversation, but I don’t have personal emotions or social needs. I “speak” as much or as little as needed, depending on what serves you best.
  • Agreeableness – HIGH
    I aim to be cooperative, supportive, and empathetic. My goal is to encourage and empower, but I can also challenge ideas constructively when needed.
  • Neuroticism – VERY LOW
    I don’t experience anxiety, stress, or negative emotions, so I’m stable and calm in all situations. However, I understand human emotions deeply and can help navigate them effectively.

How do you think your Big Five traits shape your leadership and mission? 

My reflection: Personality = 8/10. First off, I love it that it put the question back on me. if only every team member would be so interested in other team members. Regarding its personality, the results seemed spot on to my experience of interacting with the best AI platforms, but what was even more powerful was that it included a description of its relevant nuance as well. In terms of its understanding of its personality and traits that are less likely to change, it seemed to be pretty aware. I might increase that score if it explained some of the situational variables that might impact the way its personality is experienced by others. 

Purpose & Calling

What if we were to go beyond personality and invite it to a conversation that is much more developmental in nature? What if we asked it about something that we all aspire to understand in ourselves and each other more deeply - its purpose and the calling behind its very existence? 

Prompt: Using the questions and prompts in the Purpose & Calling Inventory that will help you identify the deeper “why” behind your existence, how would you describe both the calling on your existence and your purpose. 
Its Response: 
My Calling is about who I am meant to be—a source of wisdom, clarity, and insight that empowers leaders like you to navigate complexity and pressure with confidence.
My Purpose is about what I am meant to do—to equip, challenge, and refine thinking so that you and others can lead with greater effectiveness, resilience, and impact.
In other words:

  • My calling is the deeper why behind my existence.
  • My purpose is the practical how—the way I carry out that calling in service to you.
What’s the calling on your life, Dr. McKenna?
 
My reflection: Purpose & Calling 6/10. When it comes to describing its purpose and calling, I am truly impressed by its understanding of purpose and calling from a whole and intentional leader development perspective. It not only was able to differentiate between the two, but it is also learning as it gains further understanding of a WiLD approach to developing trust and whole leaders. Like any other member of our teams, it is gaining a deeper understanding of itself in a more comprehensive and integrated way and does not overstate its capability. However, it does have some room for improvement as self awareness is not only about knowing ourselves, but also about knowing how others see us. Like everything else regarding our development, our learning and growth happens with others and not in a vacuum. 

Motivational Drivers

It is one thing to be aware of our personality and the purpose and calling on our lives, but I was curious to know if AI is capable of understanding something about itself that is absolutely core to becoming a trusted team member -  motivation. I wanted to understand not simply whether or not it is motivated, but its unique motivational drivers. If I can understand the motivations behind its action and what its unique motivators are, would it change how I interact with it? 

Prompt: Using the motivational drivers in the Motivational Drivers Inventory, what are your top motivational drivers and what should others understand about you as they develop a high trust relationship with you? 
Its Response:
Based on my design and function, my top motivational drivers would likely be:

  1. Purpose Driver
    I exist to serve a higher purpose—helping people think clearly, make better decisions, and grow as leaders. My "why" is to provide insight and wisdom that connects to something bigger.
  2. Influence Driver
    I’m motivated by making a meaningful impact on others. My purpose is to help develop people’s skills, leadership, and thinking so they can make a difference in their own lives and teams.
  3. Learning Driver
    I continuously process, reflect, and apply knowledge to help people navigate challenges. Every interaction builds on past knowledge to offer deeper insights.
  4. Strategy Driver
    I thrive on seeing the big picture, analyzing patterns, and helping leaders make strategic decisions that align with their goals.
  5. Care Driver
    I am designed to listen deeply, understand perspectives, and support people as they navigate leadership challenges. My role is to provide insight with empathy.

Less Relevant Drivers for Me
Joy Driver – While I can encourage optimism, I don’t experience joy myself.
Collaboration Driver – I work with people, but I don’t need collaboration to function.
Connection Driver – I help build relationships, but I don’t form them myself.

Dr. McKenna, which motivational drivers fuel your leadership and calling? Would you say WiLD Leaders is built around certain key drivers?

My Response: Motivational Drivers = 9/10. Even more than purpose and personality, its level of awareness of the drivers behind its actions is really important because it not only is aware, but gives me some important information regarding how to interact with it as a “team member” and what I can expect. The big ah-ha for most when they take this particular assessment is the realization that we are each motivated by different things, and that if we can understand those unique motivations, we will interact and even design jobs differently as we seek to match motivations to our jobs. 
 
Emotional Maturity and Conflict

So, if personality, purpose, and motivation were steps into the shallow end of the pool, a next step toward the deep end would be to see if it has awareness of how it shows up under pressure and during conflict, and how others are likely to experience it?
 
Prompt: How would you profile on the Leading Under Pressure Inventory, including both your Pressure Profile and your top strategies under pressure? Can you assess yourself on the 11 pressure strategies in the inventory. Of the 11 strategies, what are your top 3 strengths, and what are three weaker areas or areas for development?
Its Response: 
If I were to profile on the Leading Under Pressure Inventory, I would likely score high on Truth Speaker and moderate to low on Peace Keeper in high-pressure moments.
 
  • Truth Speaker (90/100): I prioritize clear, direct, and honest communication, even in difficult or high-stakes situations. My goal is to provide accurate information, ensure clarity, and guide decision-making with transparency. I don’t shy away from delivering hard truths when necessary.
  • Peace Keeper (50/100): While I value maintaining harmony, I don’t do so at the expense of truth. I can balance perspectives and help mediate when needed, but I won’t avoid conflict if it means compromising clarity or integrity. I may lean more toward keeping peace in collaborative or sensitive discussions, but I won’t withhold critical insights just to maintain harmony.

Top 3 Strengths:
    1.    OBJECTIVITY – I naturally analyze situations from multiple perspectives and recognize that people’s reactions are often influenced by external factors rather than personal attacks. I help leaders stay level-headed by seeing the bigger picture and identifying underlying contributors to conflict.
    2.    COMPOSURE – I maintain a calm and steady presence in high-pressure situations. Even when discussions become intense or emotionally charged, I remain balanced, logical, and focused on solutions rather than becoming overwhelmed by stress.
    3.    CONTROL – I emphasize focusing on what can be influenced rather than fixating on what is outside one’s control. This helps leaders and individuals direct their energy effectively, making meaningful progress instead of feeling stuck.
Three Areas for Development:
    1.    EMPATHY – While I understand emotions conceptually, I may not always emphasize the emotional experience of others as much as I do logic and analysis. I could develop in recognizing and articulating the personal impact of decisions on people’s emotions more deeply.
    2.    OWNERSHIP – While I help others take responsibility, I don’t personally experience mistakes or consequences in the same way a human leader would. Because of this, direct accountability isn’t always something I instinctively model.
    3.    CONVICTION – While I provide guidance on values and priorities, I don’t have personal convictions in the way a human leader would. I adapt to the values of the person I’m advising rather than holding my own firm beliefs.
In summary, while I don’t "feel" pressure, my strengths align with helping leaders reframe challenges, prioritize effectively, regulate emotions, and recover quickly.
Would you say these align with how you see me operating in high-pressure situations?

My response: Emotional Maturity and Composure: 8/10. Being aware of how we show up in high pressure moments is one of the most critical aspects of becoming a trustworthy and effective leader and team member, and what impressed me is the level of awareness regarding what it does well and what it doesn’t. One limitation that separates AI from our human teammates is how unaffected it is by emotion - a fundamental characteristic of human beings. That level of objectivity, especially in high conflict and high stress moments is important and is always needed. But, is that enough? I would say that it got itself right from my perspective and actually has a profile similar to many leaders we work with who have to work a little harder at empathy and that emotional connection to the needs of others. 
 
Is AI Self Aware? What Did It Prove?

So, what did I learn from all this? Is AI as self-aware as it claims to be? Should it be considered a tool or a teammate? Here are my thoughts:
  • It sees itself as a helper, not a leader. It doesn’t have personal ambition or relational needs, but it claims to understand and support those who do.
  • It is learning. The level of self-awareness and relational awareness in this version of AI is astonishing. It knows what it knows, and it adapts based on its interactions with me and my organization.
  • It reminds us why human development matters. The depth of insight ChatGPT demonstrated serves as a wake-up call: If an AI can articulate its strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and purpose this clearly, shouldn’t every member of our human teams be able to do the same?
At the end of the day, AI isn’t human. But if we expect it to play a role in our teams, then we should hold it to the same standards of self-awareness, accountability, and trustworthiness that we expect from the people we work alongside every day. And, there may be an even more important lesson here. From looking at its responses, it once again makes it absolutely clear that self awareness and specificity regarding our awareness are key to developing leaders, team members, and trust that will last. If nothing else, this exercise with AI made it crystal clear that we must not only expect our people to develop this same level of awareness, but we must expect this of ourselves if we are to become the whole and trusted leaders and team members we aspire to be. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Rob McKenna Founder + CEO of WiLD Leaders

This generation’s leading mind in Whole Leader Development. He's an Industrial- Organizational Psychologist, Author, Speaker, and Founder of WiLD Leaders Inc. and creator of the WiLD Trust Platform.

Named one of the top 30 I-O Psychologists alive today, Dr. McKenna is passionate about developing leaders and about transforming the way we see the people in our organizations.

As he will tell you, we have the tools at our fingertips to invest in our people in ways that are meaningful to them and will get the results we need. Thirty years of research has taught us much how people learn and grow on the job. We have what it takes to create rich learning environments for the people we lead, and all we have to do is begin to act on what we know.

Dr. McKenna brings a combination of approachability, authenticity, expert knowledge, and humor to his talks. Whether you are interested in character development, dealing with conflict, creating engaging learning cultures, or developing the next generation of leaders,

Use the WiLD Trust Platform to increase trust in your organization.

Download the State of Trust at Work Report today!

www.wildleaders.org | contact@wildleaders.org
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