Texas

Research from real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle found more than half of U.S. data center builds are happening outside traditional industry hubs. Texas could become the top such market by 2030.

Residents in Lewisville and across Denton County are being warned about a surge in scam calls from people posing as police officers and claiming those on the other end of the call missed jury duty.

The third-party payment processing vendor, BridgePay Network Solutions, is reporting a systemwide outage to its services following a ransomware attack. An investigation and recovery efforts are ongoing.

The Laredo Police Department is expanding its use of artificial intelligence across several incoming programs — a move teased by Chief Miguel Rodriguez during last week's State of the City address.

The new plan reflects a move from piloting emerging technology to operationalizing AI. The department has done more than a dozen AI projects and is actively developing upwards of 20 others.

Tony Sauerhoff, who also previously served as state chief information security officer, was appointed interim executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources and interim CIO.

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.