Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges

From combat aviation to space-based computing, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt has spent her career at the intersection of human decision-making and cutting-edge technology. Now, as military and civilian sectors rush to deploy AI and autonomous systems, her experience navigating technological transformation across air and space domains offers a roadmap for leaders managing digital transformation.

Calculated risk has always been in Leavitt’s DNA. When she selected her assignment after pilot training in November 1992, she figured there was a 50% chance she was about to ruin her Air Force career. Congress had changed the law 15 months earlier to allow women in combat aviation, but Department of Defense policy still prohibited it. Everyone advised Leavitt against asking for a fighter assignment, but she knew if she didn’t, there was “a 100% chance I’d live with regret.”

Leavitt became the first woman to fly a fighter in the U.S. Air Force, and later the first to command a fighter wing. Other breakthrough roles followed: She served as Chief of Safety for both the Air Force and Space Force, established and served as the inaugural chair of the Joint Safety Council to coordinate safety protocols across military services and co-chaired space launch safety standards with NASA and FAA counterparts. Along the way, she navigated the complexities of integrating commercial space operations with government oversight—experiences that now inform her views of AI and emerging technologies.

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Technology’s Double-Edged Promise

As artificial intelligence and autonomous systems reshape operations, Leavitt sees both opportunity and risk. Autonomous systems excel in normal operations, following rule sets unburdened by human factors that lead to mistakes—like channelized attention, distraction and spatial disorientation. But they struggle with situations that require creativity.

“There is no standard operating procedure that says, ‘land in the Hudson,’” she says, referring to Captain Sully Sullenberger’s emergency river landing. “During unanticipated scenarios, creativity, innovation and bold decisions save lives—that’s where autonomous systems don’t do well.”

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Her view of AI is pragmatic. Artificial intelligence appears creative because of its incredible speed—it can search millions of databases instantly and present answers that seem innovative. “But it isn’t creative or innovative,” Leavitt says. “It’s just a tool—a powerful one that we need to master.” She advocates embracing the technology while assuming it’s dangerous, learning to dominate rather than fear it.

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The Space Technology Race

These same principles apply to space, where governance and technology challenges converge. On the governance front, it’s a geopolitical race: “We want to ensure that space is able to be utilized by everyone,” Leavitt says, “and not all countries have the same mindset.” Some seek control rather than treating space as part of the “global commons” like international waters. As a result, leaders must “increase our pace and acceleration” to ensure space remains accessible to everyone rather than controlled by individual nations.

At the same time, over 95% of satellite data is discarded due to limited downlink capacity. And while future capabilities in space-based computing and manufacturing could revolutionize operations, she says, efforts to establish international standards have not gained much traction.

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Leadership Philosophy

Whether leading technological transformation in space or boardrooms, Leavitt’s foundational principle remains constant: “Don’t let your environment or circumstances define you. Choose to empower yourself. Let your mindset, attitude and actions determine your path.”