From Stuck to Soaring: How Choosing Curiosity with AI Gave Me Back My Confidence

I remember the exact moment it happened.

Late one night, staring at my laptop, I found myself scrolling through endless hot takes on artificial intelligence. Some called it the end of human creativity. Others swore it was the dawn of a new golden age. Me? I was stuck somewhere in the middle; suspicious, defensive, and quietly afraid but most importantly morbidly fascinated.

As a keynote speaker and leadership consultant, I have built my career on ideas, words, and human connection. And here was a machine, they said, that could do it all faster. Smarter. Cheaper. The unspoken question haunted me: If AI can replicate what I do, where does that leave me?

That night, curiosity won. Instead of closing the tab, I asked a different question: What if this wasn’t a competitor? What if it could be a partner?

That single shift, from fear to curiosity - changed everything. It was the micro-moment that moved me from stuck to soaring.

For months, I treated GenAI like the noisy neighbor you tolerate but never invite in. I’d hear about its breakthroughs: algorithms that could write speeches, design strategies, even coach leaders and feel a tightening in my chest.

In many ways, I was not alone. Research from MIT shows that when people perceive technology as a replacement, their confidence dips sharply. Women, in particular, often feel this double bind: navigating both imposter syndrome and the weight of being underestimated in professional spaces. AI, painted as a faceless rival, only seemed to amplify that for men as well.

My fear wasn’t just professional. It was deeply personal. I’ve spent years telling audiences that excellence comes from authenticity, from speaking truth with care, believing exceptional is possible, and igniting lasting change. How could I preach that if I was secretly terrified a string of code could outshine me?

// The Flip: Curiosity Over Fear

Then came the night when, instead of resisting, I tried. I typed in a messy stream of thoughts, a half-formed idea for a keynote. What came back wasn’t a perfect speech but it was a spark.

GenAI hadn’t stolen my voice. It had handed me back the courage to use it.

I realized I wasn’t in a zero-sum game. This was centaur chess in real time: a concept born from grandmasters who discovered that human-AI teams could beat either alone. The magic wasn’t in machine or mind, but in the partnership.

That insight unlocked something bigger: GenAI wasn’t here to flatten individuality. It was here to amplify it.

// Why This Matters

Women know what it feels like to be second-guessed; by systems, by colleagues, sometimes even by ourselves. Confidence, for many, is not a given but a muscle constantly tested.

GenAI can feel like another critic in the room. But what if it could become an ally instead?

Behavioral science gives us a clue. Confidence is actually the ability to act despite fear and not the absence of it. Psychologists call this agency: the sense that you can shape your environment rather than be shaped by it. Generative AI, used well, can be a tool of agency; a mirror that helps you see your ideas more clearly, a rehearsal partner that strengthens your delivery, a creative spark when perfectionism threatens to stall you.

Women across industries from entrepreneurs building brands on Instagram to executives preparing board presentations are already experimenting. And the early lesson is clear: GenAI doesn’t replace your voice. It reminds you it’s worth hearing.

// The Science of Confidence in an AI World

To understand why, we need to look at the psychology of confidence in moments of disruption.

1. Digital Body Language

   
   

   Erica Dhawan’s research shows how much of modern trust and credibility is shaped not by what we say, but how we show up digitally. In this sense, AI becomes less about generating words and more about practicing presence helping us refine tone, anticipate reactions, and project authority in emails, posts, and pitches.

   
   

2. Generational Perspectives

   
   

   Younger professionals often adopt AI quickly, seeing it as a natural extension of digital fluency. Older professionals may hesitate, worried about legitimacy. But here’s the truth: confidence is contagious. When women in leadership roles use GenAI boldly and wisely, they send a powerful signal to younger women that embracing technology is not a betrayal of authenticity, but an act of ownership.

   
   

3. The Centaur Effect

   
   

   Just like in chess, the best outcomes come when human intuition and machine calculation merge. Confidence isn’t outsourced to AI. It’s reinforced through it. Think of GenAI as a spotter at the gym: it doesn’t lift for you, but it helps you lift heavier, safer, and with more belief in your strength.

// How to Use AI as a Confidence Amplifier

So how does this play out in practice? Here are four ways women can use generative AI to elevate confidence, without losing authenticity:

1. As a Storytelling Partner

   
   

   Struggling to find the words for a presentation, pitch, or even a tough email? Draft your raw thoughts into AI. Use it to surface angles, test structures, and explore metaphors. The goal isn’t to accept its first draft but to give you the momentum to refine your own.

   
   

2. As a Rehearsal Coach

   
   

   Nervous about a big meeting? Paste your speech into AI and ask for questions your audience might throw at you. Treat it like a sparring partner that helps you anticipate challenges. Confidence grows when you’re prepared for the unexpected.

   
   

3. As a Creativity Booster

   
   

   Perfectionism often stops women from starting. AI can help you leap the blank page. Whether it’s brainstorming campaign slogans or sketching article outlines, let it be your first draft friend.

   
   

4. As a Mirror for Digital Body Language

   
   

   Ever wonder how your email might come across? Or if your LinkedIn post sounds too apologetic, too assertive, or just right? Use AI to check tone and impact. Think of it as a rehearsal space for your professional presence.

   
   

Since that micro-moment, I’ve carried AI into almost every corner of my work. Not as a crutch, but as a catalyst. When I write, I draft faster. When I speak, I test sharper angles. When I coach leaders, I model curiosity instead of fear.

And perhaps most importantly, I’ve watched women I work with use GenAI to amplify what was already inside them. And what about  marketing director in Dubai who finally sent her boldest campaign pitch. A founder in Nairobi who used AI to frame her investor deck and secured her first round of funding. A young manager in London who practiced assertive responses with AI before her promotion interview and got the job.

These aren’t stories of technology replacing human excellence. They’re stories of technology reminding women that their excellence was already there.

AI didn’t take my place. It gave me back my courage.

That night, when I chose curiosity, I realized something I carry with me now on every stage, in every boardroom, and yes, even in this article: confidence is not about having all the answers. It’s about daring to stay in the conversation.

For women, actually scrap that, people everywhere, that conversation is changing. The world doesn’t need AI to make you someone else. It needs AI to help you show up more fully as yourself.

And when you do, when you speak truth with care, believe exceptional is possible, and ignite lasting change there is no algorithm being developed that can compete.

Concept/Insight	Source & Context
Human-AI symbiosis (centaur model)	Saghafian (2023) (MDPI)
Evaluation where AI assists (not replaces)	Haupt & Brynjolfsson (2025) (Stanford Digital Economy Lab)
Shifting mindset—AI as co-creator	Youvan (2024) (ResearchGate)
AI modeling human cognition at scale	Binz et al., “Centaur” (2024) (arXiv)
Lay-press coverage of AI predicting human behavior	Live Science (2025) (Live Science)
Metaphor of centaur vs. cyborg in creative tasks	Losey (2024) (e-discoveryteam.com)
Centaur chess illustrates hybrid advantage	Wired (2014) (wired.com)

// Andrew Wolhuter, Keynote Speaker & Leadership Consultant, Biz Group