Erica Anderson Rooney - Review of our September Meeting

Erica Anderson Rooney—author of The AI Gap and Glass Ceilings & Sticky Floors — opened our conversation with a simple message: we need to learn how to work with AI, not brace against it. AI is suddenly threaded through everything, and many of us — especially women — are feeling that uneasy mix of “this is interesting” and “how do we navigate this.” The fears are real.

Only 9% of people feel comfortable using AI, even as it becomes a general purpose technology as foundational as electricity or computing. Rooney argues that most people aren’t getting the help they need to use AI well, and because AI is built on historical patterns that have never been neutral, sitting this out only widens the usage gap and deepens the bias. Of the jobs expected to be lost to AI, 16% will be jobs held by women and only 3% will be jobs held by men - another reason to be involved.

Those who end up ahead are the ones who learn to use AI intelligently — letting it handle the routine so they can stay focused on the bigger picture. That means understanding what these tools actually do, choosing platforms intentionally, and knowing when a paid version offers the protections and guardrails you need. It also means being thoughtful about data, using incognito modes when appropriate, and recognizing that different models have different strengths.

AI is already accelerating breakthroughs, even in areas like cancer research, and the possibilities expand when women use it with clarity and confidence. Rooney argues that we need to be willing to lean in, learn it, and get comfortable with it, because AI is here to stay.

Pictures from our September meeting. We had a great crowd in person and on Zoom. Click on a picture below to see it larger. Then click on the side arrows to go through the pictures. Use the Escape key to return to normal viewing.