Texas

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.

The debut of the agency’s online presence is expected to be followed by the activation of three core technical units including cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics. Leaders are also recruiting for key positions.

Fermi America, a startup co-founded by former Gov. Rick Perry, has outperformed its unusually early debut as a public company, highlighting how much Wall Street hype there is for AI ventures.

The Waco City Council adopted two resolutions earlier this month for contracts that will take next steps in mobility planning for the city, suburbs and eventually all of wider McLennan County.

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law two bills to bolster and expand career and technical education and advising services in state public schools. They’re intended to more closely align education and workforce.

After signing a bill in April to create the office, Gov. Greg Abbott has elevated an executive vice president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit research organization, to lead it.

Former Vice Admiral Timothy “T.J.” White has been chosen to helm the new state-level cybersecurity agency, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced. He was most recently commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.