Hello everyone! AITX Team here with more updates this week.
If you’re new here, welcome! 👋 At AITX, we aim to:
Connect you with like-minded peers passionate about AI.
Provide a space for sharing ideas and receiving feedback on AI projects you’re building.
Share helpful tools and invaluable resources.
Be sure to follow us on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Before we jump into the regular news, a few housekeeping items:
Upcoming AITX Community Events:
Austin AITX Community Monthly Meetup | sign up here!
Houston AITX Community Monthly Meetup | sign up here!
To stay in the loop on all our monthly meetups and other community organized events, subscribe to our AITX Community calendar here.
Check out our Community Directory:
Where you can fill out your profile and find other members of the AITX community. If you haven’t filled out your profile yet, please follow the link HERE and submit your information.
Base Power x AITX Talent Hackathon
We are running a weekend hackathon at Base Power HQ in Austin, September 25 to 27.
Base Power builds home batteries, installs them, and runs them as one coordinated fleet that helps balance the Texas grid. They manufacture in house and work with both homeowners and utilities.
They are also hiring software engineers, and that is why this event exists. Their engineering team will be in the room all weekend, judging projects and meeting people. If you have been curious about what they are building, this is the way in.
Applications are reviewed and space is limited.
We’d also like to thank the supporting partners: Thrive Capital and a16z.
Cursor & AITX Community Hackathon Showcase
After a full day of building, teams will be showing off their projects, including the winning builds and other standout submissions. This is a chance to get a first look at fresh ideas, clever prototypes, and the kinds of experiments that only happen when talented people have a deadline and a lot of energy.
AITX Community Member Survey
As we head into the summer, we wanted to take the time to ask how we can help y’all better.
Please fill out this survey to tell us how we can better help you (takes less than 2 minutes) 👇
State of AI in Texas Report Survey Live!
Howdy! The State of AI in Texas Report (STAR) has been finalized.
AITX Community and UT School of Law is excited to hear what the community has to say! By mapping the AI landscape and understanding stakeholder interactions, we hope to identify key businesses involved with AI development in Texas.
And by learning about AI product usage and how to support needs of new AI developers, we aim to provide a report that will both inform smart AI policy and serve as a guide for businesses on AI development.
THE WHO – We Want to Hear From You: If you’re based in Texas and work at Startups, Scaleups, or Enterprises, this survey is for you.
This is your chance to have your voice heard.
In this week’s edition you’re getting:
5 Upcoming Events
3 AI Community Stories
So let’s jump in!
Community Events
When: Thursday, September 24 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM CDT
Where: 1705 Guadalupe St, Austin, Texas
What: Join us for an evening of AI exploration featuring industry leaders from Vulcan AI and Brokk AI, complete with pizza, drinks, AI trivia, and a collaborative hacking session where you can network and work on projects with fellow enthusiasts. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just curious about AI, this free event welcomes all skill levels to learn, connect, and innovate.
When: Thursday, September 24 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM CDT
Where: CGCS, ACC Rio Campus Build #3000, Austin, TX
What: Join ACM Austin and MongoDB for a hands-on workshop on building AI agents, where you'll learn core concepts like reasoning, tools, and memory while creating a functional AI-powered technical documentation assistant using LangGraph and MongoDB. Enjoy Mexican catering and networking before diving into this practical, instructor-led session that will equip you with real-world AI development skills and a shareable skill badge.
When: Tuesday, October 6 | 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM CDT
Where: Antler VC, Austin, TX
What: Join us at Antler Austin on October 6 for an hands-on Physical AI Workshop co-presented by Nebius and Voxel51, where you'll work with real robotics data to train a YOLO detector live using FiftyOne's multimodal tools and Nebius Serverless AI. Network with fellow AI enthusiasts over food and drinks, then dive into a practical session exploring robot recordings, auto-labeling objects, and fine-tuning models-no ROS installation required.
When: Saturday, September 19 | 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT
Where: 1705 Guadalupe St, Austin, Texas
What: Join the Austin builder community for Claude Fable 5.1 Build Day-an afternoon of hands-on creation where you'll push the latest Claude model to its limits alongside fellow developers and creators. Bring your laptop and an idea, choose your track (Delight, Breakthrough, or Everyday), and build something remarkable in real-time, whether you're going solo or teaming up with others on the day.
When: Tuesday, September 22 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM CDT
Where: Houston, Texas
What: Join the Houston Claude Community for an intensive ideation night on September 25 that transforms rough ideas into buildable MVPs-your perfect head start before the Houston Hackathon. Work hands-on with Claude as your thinking partner to sharpen your concept, define the problem, design an MVP, and even create visual designs (if you have Claude Pro), all in one evening from 6:30-8:00 PM.
COMMUNITY STORIES
Aramark's Nexus unit has been selected as the hospitality partner for a major AI data center workforce housing project in Texas, marking a strategic expansion beyond the company's traditional education and venue services. The partnership will provide integrated hospitality and community services to support the large labor force required for the AI-focused facility. This move highlights the growing infrastructure demands of AI data centers and the emergence of specialized workforce support services in the sector.
Why it matters: This partnership demonstrates the expanding ecosystem of support services required by AI infrastructure projects, signaling growth opportunities for companies providing workforce solutions in the AI sector.
Need to know:
Aramark Nexus will deliver integrated hospitality and community services for workforce housing tied to a Texas AI data center facility
The partnership represents Aramark's strategic expansion beyond its traditional education and venue-heavy service mix into AI infrastructure support
The collaboration centers on supporting a large labor force required for AI-focused data center operations in Texas
Dallas ISD is rolling out comprehensive AI guidelines that prohibit elementary and middle school use while allowing high school students to leverage AI for research and study assistance-though not for tests or assignments. The district is supporting the transition with an AI summit and training initiative to build a network of educator leaders, while teachers can use AI for lesson prep but not for grading. Across Texas, districts are taking varied approaches, from one-year pauses to pilot programs testing AI-powered learning tools.
Why it matters: This demonstrates how major educational institutions are creating structured frameworks for AI adoption, setting precedents that could influence nationwide education policy and shape the next generation's relationship with AI technology.
Need to know:
Dallas ISD prohibits AI in elementary and middle schools but allows high school students to use it for research and study help, excluding tests and AI-generated assignments
Houston ISD has launched a pilot program in two elementary schools using AI-powered learning for students scoring 60% or higher on reading and math tests
Teachers in Dallas ISD may use AI for lesson preparation and materials but are prohibited from using it for final grading or curriculum replacement
Texas has been ranked 9th nationally for potential AI job disruption, with approximately 500,000 workers-representing 3.55% of the state's total workforce-employed in occupations highly exposed to artificial intelligence transformation. A new SmartAsset report analyzed all 50 states and Washington D.C., comparing employment data across 26 occupations identified as having the highest AI exposure, revealing that few jobs have remained immune to emerging AI capabilities.
Why it matters: This affects us as Texans more than just technologists. This is a great time to pause and consider how we can support each other through the transition.
Need to know:
500,000 Texas workers (3.55% of the state's workforce) are employed in occupations with high exposure to potential AI disruption
The SmartAsset study analyzed 26 occupations identified by Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division as having the highest AI exposure as of June 2026
Texas ranks 9th out of 50 states plus Washington D.C. for AI-related job disruption risk, placing it in the top 20% of most vulnerable states
That’s all for now, folks!
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