As technology continues to reshape the global economy, Texas State Technical College recently hosted its inaugural Industry and Innovation Series. Held across three regional locations, the event brought together statewide industry partners to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the workplace and what it means for the future of the Texas workforce.
The panels, hosted in Austin, Red Oak and Rosenberg featured experts from organizations including NASA, Compass Datacenters, Arm Holdings, Claroty, Mary Kay and the Texas Association of Business.
“These conversations are important because innovation is happening now—not someday,” Kori Bowen, TSTC’s vice president of industry relations, said. “By bringing industry leaders to the table for honest and engaging dialogue, TSTC can play a small part in helping our partners and communities better understand where opportunities are emerging and what skills will be needed to succeed in the careers of the future.”
A resounding theme across all three panels is that jobs will not be displaced despite technology evolving.
At the North Texas campus in Red Oak, Sudhir Kalra compared AI to the invention of both the printing press and digital media; they displaced some jobs but created many more.
“Five to 10 years ago, if I were to ask you, ‘do you know what a social media director would do?’ Those jobs didn’t exist. Now there isn’t a single company out there that doesn’t have a social media director,” he said. “People are going to be surprised at how many jobs AI will actually create versus displace.”
At the Fort Bend County location in Rosenberg, Bryan Murphy, a NASA contractor, encouraged the audience to view AI as a tool to build upon rather than a challenge to engineering careers; he encouraged the future workforce to focus less on job survival and more on personal evolution.
“The key is to approach AI with a learner’s mindset. Instead of asking whether your job will still be here in 10 years, ask how you can use this technology, grow with it, and become excited about the possibilities. Curiosity and a willingness to learn are essential,” he said.
While technology continues to advance, speakers in Austin emphasized that human oversight, critical thinking and a “learner’s mindset” remain irreplaceable.
Gabriela von zur Muehlen, senior vice president for the Texas Association of Business, urged students to master the technology rather than rely on it blindly.
“I would say, learn to learn,” von zur Muehlen said. “The technology is only going to continue evolving and changing. The willingness to continue learning and remaining adaptable is going to be critical to being successful.”
By hosting these crucial conversations, TSTC ensures its technical curriculum evolves at the speed of industry. Translating real-time insights from global tech leaders into hands-on classroom training allows TSTC to equip students with the high-demand technological advancements required to lead the next generation of the Texas workforce.
Registration for the fall semester at TSTC is underway. For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.