Staying Relevant in the Age of AI - Laura DeBenedetto (Meta)

In this episode, I sit down with Laura de Benedetto — product policy manager at Meta, Cambridge AI Ethics graduate, and the very first Career Queen to return for a second conversation — for an honest discussion about what it actually takes to build a career that holds when the ground shifts beneath you.

Laura was laid off from Airbnb. She didn't see it coming. And like so many high achievers, she had done everything right — which made the shock of it that much harder to process. What she did next is the conversation every career-driven woman needs to hear right now.

Because the layoff era is not slowing down. AI is restructuring entire teams. And the idea that hard work alone guarantees security is a contract that is quietly being rewritten. This episode is about what job security actually looks like when you build it from the inside out — through community, clarity, and a mindset shift that Laura didn't find until she was forced to.

If you are navigating uncertainty in your career, watching the industry change faster than you can keep up, or simply want to feel more grounded in where you stand, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

• What it really feels like to be laid off as a high achiever and how to process it
• Why being open about your situation is one of the most strategic things you can do
• How Laura went from layoff to presenting at the UN General Assembly in the same year
• The human skills that become more valuable as AI advances — not less
• Why you probably don't want to be indispensable at work
• How to separate your professional identity from the company you work for