🦾 AI can help automate a lot, but it cannot replace community builders

A note for founders building community-led businesses + a weekly challenge, trending links, and more

May 25, 2026

The headlines have been headlining lately.

I have no clue if this is my LinkedIn feed or if we’re all seeing it, but it feels like every other day there is another company laying off more and more people, with AI being the primary reason behind it.

You know how I always say that when it comes to the algorithm and how terrible it can be, we fed that monster?

Welp.

We did it again.

Now, I am not saying that this is a bad thing. It’s just a reminder that every shift we take part in, shapes what comes next.

Anytime there is new technology released into the wild, everything shifts. Even outside of tech, change can rock the foundation of almost anything.

But that’s not actually what I’ve been thinking about the most.

I called my dermatologist’s office the other day and at first, I thought I was talking to a real person. The tone, the pauses, the way it responded… it was good.

And then I realized it wasn’t! I WAS TRICKED! 🥸

Turns out they moved from a call center to an AI system. Which, I guess from a biz standpoint, makes sense. It’s efficient and it probably saves them time and money.

But I still found myself trying to get to a human. And that’s what I can’t stop thinking about.

Not whether AI is good or bad, but HOW and WHEN we choose to use it. Because yes, you can integrate AI into your business.

You can use it to (to name a few):

Support your workflows
Respond faster
Learn, research, etc
Handle repetitive tasks

All of that makes sense. But how much you use it, where you use it, and how it actually feels to your audience?

That’s key.

And if you’re building a community-led business, this becomes even more important.

Because community is more than just access.

It’s about connection and about knowing that there’s a real person on the other side.

That’s why I know community is here to stay. AI will keep evolving, tools will get better, systems will get smarter.

BUT people will still want to:

Feel seen
Feel understood
Talk to someone who gets it

So use it where it makes sense, but don’t let it create distance between you and your people.

If anything, it should give you more time to get closer to them.

AI isn’t going anywhere BUT neither is the need for real connection. And the founders/businesses that remember that will be the ones that will last (and stand out!).

🌱Ingrid

𓆝 ⋆.This week’s challenge
Pay attention to where you might be creating distance without realizing it:
Are you automating something that could be a moment of connection?
Are you replacing a touchpoint your audience actually values?
Where could you show up just a little more personally?

Quote of the week
°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡

“The key question isn’t ‘What can AI do?’ but ‘What should AI do?” — John C. Havens

Click-worthy links

Why Post-Event Surveys Fall Short with MyOrbit Founder Ingrid Zapata Read | Aligned Gatherings
Why Trust Is the New Currency in Business and How Community Helps Build It | Entreprenista
Tech CEOs suddenly love blaming AI for mass job cuts. Why? | BBC

Events in your Orbit
AI IRL Coffee Meetup: let’s talk about claude. (Red Bank, NJ)
Women in Business Summit (Bristol, CT)
Women Who Build Weekend (Poconos, PA)
See more events!