The Digital Women panel at Cannes, hosted by New Digital Age and chaired by Ellie Edwards-Scott, delved into the fast-evolving world of AI and the critical role women must play in shaping its future. Following on from the first part of the discussion on leadership and inclusion, this session brought to light how women in media and marketing are adopting AI tools, while navigating the risks of being left out of the innovation conversation.
Panellists included: Ellie Norman, CMO, Formula E; Amy Williams, CEO, Good Loop; Angela Hoye, Head of Corporate Communications, LG Ad Solutions; and Jasmine Dawson, SVP Digital, BBC Studios.
As Edwards-Scott noted, “AI is moving at such a fast pace that there is a real risk that women could be left out unless we’re proactive.”
Norman explained how AI is already integrated throughout Formula E. “We’ve rolled it out across the whole company. Everyone is encouraged to use it—it’s made a huge difference,” she said.
As someone with dyslexia, she finds the technology particularly valuable. “I hate long emails, so being able to summarise and reframe them with AI saves so much time. And personally, it’s the best holiday planner I’ve ever had!”
Human insight in a machine-led world
At BBC Studios, Dawson emphasised a balance between enthusiasm and caution.
“We’re definitely encouraged to use AI to be more effective—whether it’s summarising emails, supporting communication, or digesting content. But when it comes to creative storytelling, we have to be cautious,” she said. “The magic of our most beloved shows, like Bluey, comes from authentic storytelling. AI can’t replicate that—at least not yet.”
Still, Dawson believes there are opportunities. “We’re running case studies in different parts of the business, and experimenting with creative applications. The more we understand where it helps and where it doesn’t, the smarter we become.”
Williams also pointed to the human layer that remains essential. “There’s so much doom-mongering about AI replacing jobs,” she said, “but the creativity, the messy feelings, the truly human stuff—that’s still ours. It’s about using AI to handle the boring bits, so we can be more human in the work that matters.”
Creativity, safety and empowerment
A standout theme from the panel was psychological safety and the importance of culture in adopting new technology.
Williams shared a powerful analogy from comedian Nathan Fielder, whose show explores why pilots sometimes don’t speak up when they spot problems. “He had them role-play being confident enough to challenge each other. That’s what we need in business too—creative ways to help people feel safe to speak up.”
Norman echoed this, noting that a culture of experimentation is crucial. “We’re encouraged to challenge the status quo and not think like a legacy sport. That’s embedded in our values, which is why adoption of AI across our organisation has worked so well.”
Angela Hoye described how her communications team uses AI to streamline workflows. “We use it to generate first drafts of press releases or prep for interviews. It’s brilliant for readability checks—helping us write in ways that actually land with different audiences.”
But she also reminded the audience of the human connection. “One journalist had been using AI to ‘improve’ their emails, but a friend replied saying, ‘I miss your typos.’ That says it all. The human element still matters.”
Leveling the playing field, or widening the gap?
An important question raised by Norman was, “How many women are actually involved in building the large language models behind this technology?” The panel agreed that if women aren’t part of the teams creating AI, their needs and perspectives risk being overlooked.
Dawson built on this by highlighting the need for accessible upskilling. “People learn and communicate differently. AI can support that, but only if the training is inclusive. We have a responsibility to make sure our teams are equipped and empowered.”
Williams reflected on the same issue. “AI is amazing at planning your day, making grocery lists, or even helping your kids revise. But if it’s only trained by a narrow demographic, we’ll lose out on its true potential. We need diversity at every level—from development to deployment.”
AI at home and at work
Throughout the panel, there was a strong sense that AI isn’t just a professional tool—it’s becoming an everyday assistant. From trip planning to creating flashcards from textbooks, the speakers shared candid examples of how AI is being used in their personal lives.
Edwards-Scott recounted how she used AI to support her daughter during exam season. “I put the textbook title into Perplexity and asked it to produce revision flashcards, within seconds it had condensed the key themes and points that she needed to know about Macbeth—it was amazing.”
Norman agreed: “It’s just about trying things. It’s such a relief to take away the cognitive load sometimes.”
Staying future-focused and inclusive
As the session came to a close, Edwards-Scott asked each panellist to share one final piece of advice on how the industry can remain inclusive and future-focused.
Williams said, “Continue investing in the programs you’re already doing. Don’t chase trends—embed purpose into the business. And don’t let the people working on inclusion initiatives lose their jobs. Protect them.”
Norman added, “Keep being quietly consistent. You don’t have to shout, but you do have to stick to your values.”
Dawson emphasised the importance of culture over policy. “Focus on inclusion as a cultural contract, not just a written one. It’s everyone’s responsibility, not just HR’s.”
Hoye summed up with a simple, human takeaway: “Get to know your team. Understand what they need to show up as their best selves. That’s the best thing any leader can do.”
From leadership to AI, the message was clear—true inclusion means embedding empathy, creativity and curiosity into the very fabric of how we work. Only then can the full potential of women in media, and the tools they use, truly be realised.
