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Role‐play is often used as a pedagogical technique by counsellor educators to help counsellors‐in‐training (CITs) learn and practise counselling skills. This study used qualitative content analysis to assess the effectiveness of Chat Generative Pre‐Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, in simulating client role‐play to facilitate practising counselling skills. The author used 10 case vignettes to conduct a simulated role‐play where ChatGPT was asked to simulate the client and author as counsellor. The results indicated that ChatGPT demonstrated authenticity, consistency, appropriate emotional expression, cultural sensitivity, empathy and self‐awareness while portraying the client. However, at times, ChatGPT's responses to the counsellor's questions appeared overly idealised, lacking the authenticity typically observed in real clients. Furthermore, ChatGPT, as a simulated client, lacked non‐verbal cues, limiting the overall experience of counselling skill practice. Recommendations for CITs and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) integration in counsellor education and supervision, presenting a roadmap for future research inquiries. The article underscores the need for future research to critically examine the ethical and beneficial integration of AI in counsellor education, focusing on training programmes and guidelines. Additionally, it calls for the development of comprehensive frameworks for AI chatbot integration, supervision models for counsellors‐in‐training and further exploration of AI's potential in the counselling profession. In conclusion, while advanced conversational AI shows promise in counselling, more research is needed to ensure responsible and effective integration. This article provides valuable insights and directions for future investigations, aiming to shape the ethical use of AI technologies in the counselling field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]