Women Must Lead — Not Follow — the AI Revolution

Key points:

• • AI presents both a major opportunity and risk for women in leadership, with inaction widening the gap.
• • Women’s strengths in collaboration and empathy position them well for the “orchestration economy.”
• • Success will depend on AI literacy, adaptability, and confidently owning and advocating for impact.

May 2026 — As the world finds itself on the frontiers of a new digital era with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, women find themselves in a unique position to bolster their role in business leadership, according to Abby Lindenberg, founder and CEO of business insights platform caa. Inaction, however, is a real risk.

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“The emergence of AI has the potential to be a great equalizer, or to widen the gender divide. It is both our greatest opportunity and our greatest risk,” said Lindenberg, a panelist on Wednesday at the The Women’s Leadership Forum & Business Expo 2026, hosted by The Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce for Palm Beach County at West Palm Beach City Hall.

Lindenberg emphasized that one of the most persistent barriers women face is not innate, but shaped over time. “It is absolutely external,” she said of confidence gaps. “When I watch children, there is no self-doubt. Everyone tries something, or falls, or messes something up, or gets something right organically. It is only after time that life, or society, or culture tells women not to be confident.”

Lindenberg said that women’s ability to create collaborative environments within segmented and siloed businesses gives them an “incredible opportunity” in an era where teams must work more closely than ever to overcome the challenges of AI adoption and data fragmentation.

“Some people are now referring to the new economy as ‘the orchestration economy,’ where empathy-driven leadership and the ability to integrate multiple perspectives are must-haves. Women tend to value and nurture high-trust environments, putting us in prime position to lead this new economic direction.”

Pivoting to AI

Lindenberg pointed to her own experience running caa, where three of her five-member sales and editorial management team are women. The company pivoted in late 2025 to adopt AI in many of its processes, and having people at the top who could communicate clearly and empathetically helped allay early fears among employees, 

The key threat, Lindenberg added, is inaction. 

“If we don’t move intentionally, we risk creating a capability gap where the technical architecture is designed without our input.”

That could lead to a new digital divide, where rather than defining and leading the technology charge, women are defined by it, leaving them to face the same ceilings they faced in the past.

Skills that matter

To avoid the drawbacks of the past, Lindenberg suggested three skills that women must master to stay competitive and relevant in the next decade: AI literacy, adaptability, and human-centered leadership.

“Men and women alike have to educate themselves on how AI will transform themselves, both personally and professionally,” she said. “Today’s world is fundamentally different than it was yesterday, and in one year’s time will be fundamentally different than it is today. And it’s up to us to embrace this technology, but more importantly, be that human behind the technology so we always stay competitive.”

In a rapidly shifting landscape, she noted, technical understanding alone is not enough — those who combine it with emotional intelligence and the ability to lead through change will stand out.

Speaking up

One key area that Lindenberg highlighted as a personal goal was to ensure women who do the work are recognized for it. Too often, she said, women feel overlooked, unseen or under-recognized at work. This needs to change.

“Don’t wait for permission to be recognized. Own your contributions, articulate your impact, and make your work visible,” she said.

Women also must do a better job of supporting women, Lindenberg added.

“Too often, we underestimate how powerful it is when women actively champion one another. If we want to change the system, we have to model it by creating environments where collaboration, support, and shared success are the norm, not the exception.”

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