Texas

North East Independent School District, which is located in San Antonio, may soon be fighting a legal battle with the Texas Education Agency over its controversial cellphone policy.

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Crawford to serve as insurance commissioner for a term of about one year. Her replacement as state CIO and executive director of the Department of Information Resources is developing.

Craig Hopkins, the Texas city’s technology leader of eight years, will retire in early 2026. Officials are mounting a recruitment for a new CIO to oversee a department with more than 340 staff.

A private research university in Texas announced a partnership with Dell to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence on campus and implement an AI system that keeps critical data in-house.

TPWD’s new internal AI policy outlines rules for the responsible use of generative AI tools by agency staff. All AI tools must be approved by the IT Division, with strict limits on high-risk use cases.

The company, seeking to bring more artificial intelligence to local government, has partnered with El Paso organizations to train applicants with AI skills. One of the company’s leaders explains his thinking.

Three tech executives describe similar challenges across jurisdictions — from replacing lost federal tools to bridging information silos among agencies, utilities and communities.

Lawson, who has cybersecurity experience in municipal, state and federal roles, has previously served as CISO and chief technology officer for Alaska, and as assistant CIO and CISO for the city of Phoenix.

Proposed by the state Department of Information Resources, the code would apply to all state agencies and local entities that procure, develop or deploy AI technology. It is now available for public comment.

Three months into Texas' statewide ban on cellphones in school, officials are observing noticeable differences on campuses, but some say students need opportunities to learn what appropriate use of technology looks like.

Four of the eight gubernatorial appointees head up technology at a variety of offices and departments. They will join other public- and private-sector execs in offering guidance on adopting AI.

Colleges and universities are addressing AI use with a patchwork of policies, with many professors setting their own rules, leaving both students and instructors unsure where appropriate AI use ends and cheating begins.

Rather than the more common text-based chatbot, Amarillo, Texas, employs Emma, an AI-powered digital assistant designed to resemble its community. Officials said it has saved the city more than $1 million since launch.

After five years of shifting plans, the Texas Broadband Development Office has announced that it now has an updated proposal to submit to the federal government, aiming for less than half of a prior allocation.

The RAND Corporation’s 2025 American Mathematics Educator Survey found that 52 percent of Texas teachers used AI in math instruction at least once last year, but more than 20 percent hadn’t received training.

The Rio Grande International Study Center is continuing its Tree Equity Study, which is part of an effort to map where trees are lacking in Laredo and across the rest of Webb County.

Elevated from state chief information security officer, Tony Sauerhoff arrives during a strategic shift for the Department of Information Resources as it expands support for agencies exploring AI and emerging tech.

IT leaders in the state’s most populous county said they will utilize new Texas Cyber Command services after a shift in national support, while building their own cybersecurity teams and training programs.