TEXAS — Texas cities rank among the top six in the nation for jobs replaced by artificial intelligence, with hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the state, according to a new study from the Chamber of Commerce.
The report showed that AI threatens to replace more than 800,000 jobs in Texas. The study also revealed that several Texas cities are ranked among the top 31 cities in the nation most likely to lose jobs to AI, with San Antonio ranked 6th, Dallas 20th, Austin 23rd, and Houston 31st.
“Over time, AI will impact everything,” said business strategist Duane Deason. “From lawyers to accountants and everything in between. Unless you’re talking about physical labor or a trade, you won’t find a safer job.”
Brandon Hanshaw briefly served in the military, but a back injury forced him to pursue a different career, leading him to the Texas Labor Commission amid job insecurity. He enrolled in online courses through Metrix Learning and has taken about 70 classes since May, including classes on human resources and Microsoft Office. Silvana Pereira, another Metrics student, said she took nearly 70 classes last year while looking for a job.
“I’ve been a project manager, a cybersecurity manager, and Six Sigma,” she said.
According to the report, workers are now forced to compete with artificial intelligence for jobs.
“It’s sad when humans are replaced by machines,” Pereira said. “We are missing relationships and we need each other.”
Hanshaw also said he doesn’t agree with companies replacing jobs with AI.
“Humans have to enter the information,” Hanshaw said. “Humans have to maintain it.”
Kerry Twomey, director of account management at Metrix Learning, said the company is among the institutions preparing the workforce for AI, offering more than 900 manufacturing, skilled trades and other modules that are said to support AI-resistant jobs.
“What we are hearing more and more is that you may not be replaced by AI, but you may be replaced by someone who knows how to use AI,” she said. “Figure out what you’re interested in, what you want to learn about, what interests you, and then also look at what industries are hiring in your area.”
Pereira and Hanshaw are optimistic that the learnings will pay off in the end.
“I just want to be a husband and provide for my family,” Hanshaw said. “My advice is to keep walking.”
