Hello everyone! AITX Team here with more updates this week.
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In this week’s edition you’re getting:
5 Upcoming Events
3 AI Community Stories
So let’s jump in!
UPCOMING EVENTS
When: Thursday, January 29 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CST
Where: Antler VC Austin, Texas
What: This is the first installment of a workshop series for people who want to make money by practically applying AI to real-world business problems in valuable industries.
When: Monday, January 19 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST
What: 58% of Texas students are not at grade level in math.
That's not a typo. According to the latest STAAR data, more than half of Texas kids are behind - and most parents have no idea.
Why? Because "passing" a class doesn't mean "on grade level." Schools don't always tell you the difference.
Assessment Day answers one question: Is your child actually on track?
When: Saturday, January 24 | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST
Where: AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
1900 University Avenue · Austin, TX
What: Launched in 2011, and quite possibly the longest running big data conference in the world, Data Day Texas returns in January with an international list of marquee presenters
When: Saturday, January 24 | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST
What: Launched in 2011, and quite possibly the longest running big data conference in the world, Data Day Texas returns in January with an international list of marquee presenters.
When: Saturday, February 21 | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM CST
Where: Austin 111 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, United States · Austin, TX
What: We’re hosting the Robotics & Edge Inference Conference in February 2026. From the smallest microcontrollers to the most advanced Jetson-class modules, modern robots now run perception and policy on-device. We’ll go end-to-end—from compilers & runtimes (TensorRT, TVM, ONNX Runtime) and ROS 2/Isaac dataflow, to multi-sensor 3D perception & state estimation, to navigation and diffusion policies for manipulation. We’ll also showcase demos from top robotics companies in Austin.
COMMUNITY STORIES
Tony Sauerhoff, Texas' first chief AI and innovation officer, just stepped into the interim CIO role at the Department of Information Resources after Amanda Crawford moved to head the Insurance Department. With 30+ years in IT and cybersecurity across government and private sectors, Sauerhoff's now steering the ship during a leadership transition.
Why it matters: Texas is doubling down on AI leadership at the state level, signaling serious intent to embed emerging tech strategy into core government operations.
Need-to-know:
Sauerhoff brings deep cybersecurity roots (U.S. Courts, Marine Corps Reserve) and just spent a year as state CISO before his AI appointment in October
He's been leading statewide AI adoption efforts and currently chairs GovRAMP, the nonprofit setting cloud security standards for government
The board will search for a permanent executive director while both Crawford and deputy director Steve Pier start new state positions in early February
Learn more here.
Galaxy Digital just locked in approval to add 830 megawatts of power capacity at its Helios data center campus in West Texas, more than doubling the site's total approved load to 1.6+ gigawatts. Texas grid operator ERCOT signed off after a required interconnection study, and construction on the first phase is already underway with CoreWeave.
Why it matters: Texas is becoming the epicenter for AI compute infrastructure, with major players betting serious capital on the state's power capacity and business environment to fuel the AI boom.
Need-to-know:
ERCOT approval unlocks 830 megawatts of new capacity at Galaxy's West Texas facility, with power delivery expected to begin in early 2026
Galaxy signed a service agreement with AEP Texas and CoreWeave to build out AI and high-performance computing workloads, positioning itself as a key infrastructure play
CEO Mike Novogratz flagged that power demand for AI compute in Texas is "unprecedented," and the company is now scouting additional land and power options across Texas and beyond
Learn more here.
Soluna Holdings and Metrobloks signed a partnership to co-develop Project Kati 2, a 100+ megawatt AI and high-performance computing data center in Willacy County near McAllen. The renewable-powered campus breaks ground in September 2025 and can expand to 300+ MW total capacity, offering customers what they desperately need: available power and fast deployment.
Why it matters: South Texas is emerging as a viable third option for AI infrastructure beyond Central and West Texas, diversifying Texas's data center footprint and leveraging abundant renewable energy to support the region's compute explosion.
Need-to-know:
Project Kati 2 will be powered by wind from Las Majadas wind farm, with Metrobloks leading design, leasing, and operations while Soluna contributes site control, power entitlements, and infrastructure expertise
The initial 100+ MW phase is designed for high-density GPU workloads with a clear roadmap to expand beyond 300 MW, addressing the acute shortage of power-constrained AI deployment locations
A potential neocloud tenant is already under letter of intent, signaling strong demand for the facility before it's even operational
Learn more here.
That’s all for now, folks!
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