TEXAS — A Texas city ranks in the top six in the country 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 AI is threatening to replace more than 800,000 jobs in Texas. It also revealed several Texas cities rank among the top 31 cities across the country with the most potential job losses because of AI, with San Antonio ranking sixth, Dallas ranking 20th, Austin at 23rd and Houston at 31st.
“Over time, AI’s going to hit everything,” said Duane Deason, a business strategist. “From attorneys to accountants, to all those types of aspects. There won’t be a job that’s terribly safe, unless you’re talking about manual labor and trades.”
Brandon Hanshaw, who briefly served in the military before a back injury forced him to pursue a different career, went to the Texas Workforce Commission amid the job instability trends. He signed up for online courses through Metrix Learning, taking roughly 70 classes since May, including human resources and Microsoft Office classes. Silvana Pereira, another Metrix learner, said she also took nearly 70 classes while seeking work over the last year.
“I’ve done project manager, cybersecurity manager, I’ve been doing Six Sigma,” she said.
Reports show workers are now forced to compete with artificial intelligence for jobs.
“It’s sad that a human has been replaced by machines,” Pereira said. “We are missing the human connection, and we need each other.”
Hanshaw said he also disagrees with companies replacing jobs with AI.
“A human has to put in the information,” Hanshaw said. “A human has to maintain it.”
Kerry Twomey, director of account management for Metrix Learning, said they’re among the agencies preparing the workforce for AI, offering over 900 manufacturing, skilled trade and other modules said to support AI-proof jobs.
“The phrase that we’re hearing more and more is that you might 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 curious about, what you want to learn about, what you’re interested in, and then also look at what industries are hiring in your area.”
Pereira and Hanshaw are optimistic the learning will ultimately pay off.
“I just want to be that husband that provides for my family,” Hanshaw said. “My advice: keep walking.”
