How are women keeping up with the rapid changes in the world of AI? Whether you’re learning AI tools for the first time or leading a team using AI innovation, mastering new technologies is only half the battle. Building the support system that fosters continual growth and confident leadership is the other half – and that’s what we’re doing at Women Applying AI. At our recent WAAI launch on September 26, 2025, we explored a central truth: that navigating the AI era will be a collaborative journey that requires intentional effort and ethical application. Here’s how our panelists reflected on our individual and collective responsibilities in this new era.

Overwhelmed on How to Begin? 

Start Local – Whatever That Means For you

Whether it’s in your company, your university, or your local community, finding a place to connect and support is critical, according to Francesca Lazzeri.  As Principal Group Director of Applied AI and Engineering at Microsoft, she leads AI researchers, applied scientists, and machine learning engineers. When she first began working with data and modeling, this kind of machine learning wasn’t as accessible and prevalent as it is today. It was a resource she needed to seek out.  

Today, she cultivates active AI training and resources within her organization. Not just without outside trainers, but with peer-to-peer sharing of projects and lessons learned. “It has been the most beautiful experience for me, because I’m also learning a lot of new things.”  But you don’t have to belong to a technology organization to create this experience too. Her advice: Seek out a community where you can learn and grow with a “curiosity” mindset. “It’s no longer about just knowing the answer, but rather what’s your mindset about learning something new?” Lazzeri said. 

How Can You AI-Proof Your Career? 

Create a Plan to Adapt Professionally

Whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee, or a student who is preparing for the workforce, you’ll want to create a personalized plan to strengthen your AI fluency in a professional capacity, said Logan Currie, founder of Careerspan and Founding Member of WAAI. While this can feel overwhelming, it can actually be both strategic and manageable. 

In her simple framework, Currie suggests growing your professional capacities in 5 key areas: 

Agility – How competitive are you for the role you’re in (or want to be in) when it comes to AI? 

Documentation – Are you tracking all of your achievements and AI learnings?

AI Fluency – Are you learning AI in a way that can be applied strategically to the roles that you desire?

Personal Brand – How are you cultivating your public personal brand? 

Ties – Where is your community, and how are you connecting with your network? 

Staying informed on AI trends and experimenting with your own AI fluency will be a key component of maintaining a professional edge. Joining communities like Women Applying AI can help you learn these abilities and develop these networks. 

How will Humans Stay Relevant with AI?

Use AI to Augment Human Abilities

For anyone who is looking to sharpen their AI skills, or even build a product or service on top of AI, stay focused on the human problem that AI is looking to solve, advised Gabi Zijderveld, co-founder of Blue Tulip Ventures and advisor to AI companies. In fact, keeping the “human” at the forefront of AI application is critical. “Human-led, human-orchestrated, human-designed, and human tested,” she said. This is an important aspect of shaping AI usage in the future.

Understanding that AI isn’t always correct, can be misleading, or can even be harmful if not used correctly is the key to applying AI in a way that amplifies human ability and solves real world problems. Zijderveld advised that when the world rushes to apply AI in almost everything we do, we still need to emphasize critical thinking. In fact, human discernment is more important now than ever. 

What if women stopped waiting to be included and started owning the evolution?

Fixing the gap at any level, together. 

“If you’re a leader, your job is to open the door, so the rest of us can join you. If there’s not a ladder in place, build one together,” said WAAI Spokesperson and Founding Member Dr. Patti Fletcher. Our job as leaders isn’t to hoard the information, but rather to create the conditions for where everyone is the architect of opportunity through exploration and knowledge sharing.

And for anyone (leader or not): ask questions. Generating the questions and finding the answers benefits the entire community. Everyone inside a community can elevate and advocate for each other. Together, we can spread the wealth of knowledge and solve problems together. 

Building a Future of AI Together

To truly build a future of AI that empowers and serves everyone, we must develop our individual AI skills and critical application as well as come together to teach, learn, and lift up others. With a collaborative spirit and a supportive community, we can ensure that everyone has access to the AI skills needed for the next generation of innovation and professional success.  If you’re looking for a community of women using AI to lead, grow, and create impact, come join us here at Women Applying AI or follow the conversation on LinkedIn. 

Women Applying AI Panel led by moderator Christine Parker

FAQ:

When did Women Applying AI first launch?

Women Applying AI (WAAI) is a nonprofit community based in Boston that aims to empower women to actively use and lead with AI (artificial intelligence) in both their careers and communities. The organization’s official launch was Boston AI Week on September 26 at Microsoft’s New England Research and Development (NERD) Center.  

How is Women Applying AI helping women learn and integrate AI into their daily lives?

WAAI is building a community that goes beyond just theory.  Our programming is designed to only learn about AI, but to actually apply it.  We welcome women from all levels of experience and career stages, from the AI-curious to C-suite executives.  As Luda Kopeikina, tech executive, entrepreneur, and co-founder of WAAI said at the launch,  “Women Applying AI is not just a community. It’s a movement. ”