BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The message from keynote speaker Dr. Joanne Wang was direct and urgent: artificial intelligence is no longer a distant technological concept — it is reshaping the workforce, the economy, and the nature of work itself, and the Rio Grande Valley cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.
Wang, a nationally recognized expert in AI integration, automation, and workforce innovation, delivered the keynote address Wednesday morning at the Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation's "AI, Industry & the Future of Workforce" industry presentation and roundtable, held at The Alonso Building on East St. Charles Street.
The event drew business leaders, educators, and economic development professionals from across the region for a session that blended sharp analysis with real-world urgency.
Wang, who describes herself as a Human-Centered AI Researcher and who is based at Virginia Tech, opened her remarks by challenging the audience to think about how deeply technology had already woven itself into daily life — professionally and personally.
"I'm not trying to scare you away from this," she told the crowd. "But you cannot bury your head in the sand and say this doesn't exist."
She traced the origins of artificial intelligence back to the 1950s, when the concept was first formally proposed at an academic conference, but noted that most people's familiarity with AI really began with tools like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. The real turning point, she said, came in November 2022, when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public.
"That was the breakthrough," Wang said. "And just last year, AI models reached what researchers call PhD-level reasoning. Only 2 to 3 percent of the population holds a doctoral degree — and it takes 5 to 6 years on average to earn one. Now that level of reasoning capability is available to anyone."
A central theme of Wang's presentation was demystifying the buzzword. She offered a clear definition for the room: artificial intelligence refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence — analyzing information, making decisions, and processing data — with limited human intervention and at dramatically faster speeds.
She distinguished between the large language models powering tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta's AI platforms — which generate text, images, audio, and other content — and other, more specialized forms of AI. Her focus, she said, was on the generative AI tools most immediately relevant to businesses in South Texas.
Wang also addressed one of the most persistent misconceptions about AI: that it knows everything. "AI is trained on published knowledge up to a certain date," she explained. "It is not a crystal ball. It cannot tell you the future."
Wang pointed to projections that AI will contribute close to $16 trillion to the global economy within the next five years — a figure she said should focus the attention of every business leader in the room.
But she acknowledged the fear that often accompanies that statistic: that AI will eliminate jobs.
"New jobs will be created," she said. "Some roles will be displaced — especially entry-level, data-related, and repetitive positions. But it is not simply, 'I am going to replace you.'"
She invited the audience to imagine jobs that do not yet exist — roles like "AI mechanics," engineers who would not just fix machines but essentially diagnose why an AI model is behaving unexpectedly. "They are part engineer, part psychologist," she said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Wang also pointed to industries across the spectrum that are already being transformed. In healthcare, AI is helping doctors interpret radiological images and recommend treatment pathways. In manufacturing and supply chain, predictive maintenance tools are reducing downtime. In agriculture — a topic of particular interest to South Texas — she noted that AI is being used to monitor crops during export, flagging health conditions in real time before products arrive at their destination. "Synchronizing fertilization, irrigation, drones — every single layer of the process, AI is in there," she said.
One of the more thought-provoking shifts Wang described was what she called the emergence of "hybrid teams" — workforces made up of both humans and AI agents working in tandem.
"As business leaders, you are no longer simply managing a team of people," she told the audience. "You also need to manage your machines."
She described AI agents as systems that go well beyond simply responding to prompts. Unlike a basic chatbot, an AI agent can be given access to tools, data, and systems — and then act on them, executing tasks with very limited human oversight. As an example, she described an HR-focused AI agent capable of drafting job descriptions, posting positions on job boards, and screening applicants, all autonomously.
But she was equally candid about the risks. Wang pointed to real-world cautionary tales, including a case involving McDonald's, where an AI agent handling job applications operated without adequate human oversight — creating security vulnerabilities. She also referenced a Canadian airline that was held legally accountable for misinformation provided by its own AI chatbot. "The judge said, if it is your agent, you are responsible for it," Wang told the room.
"Do not simply trust AI 100 percent," she said. "Human oversight still matters."
Drawing on her work consulting with clients ranging from federal government agencies to private sector companies, Wang said the single biggest barrier to successful AI integration is not the technology itself — it is people.
"Ninety-five percent of AI pilots failed last year," she said. "Organizations know they need to do it, but they don't know how to do it correctly."
She described a growing tension in the workforce: professionals whose entire sense of professional identity is tied to a specific expertise are finding that expertise increasingly augmented — or replicated — by AI. "For engineers, for example, their expertise is their identity," she said. "When AI can do what they do, that is not just a job threat — it goes deeper than that."
The answer, Wang argued, is not to resist but to evolve. Traditional career models — where a certification earned today carries a professional through the next decade — are giving way to something more fluid. Continuous learning, she said, has moved from a best practice to a survival skill. "Lifestyle learning has to be constant," she said. "Absolutely continuous."
In her closing remarks, Wang offered practical steps for business leaders looking to begin or deepen their AI integration:
She urged organizations to start with AI literacy — making sure teams understand the basics of what AI is and what it can and cannot do. From there, she recommended identifying specific, low-risk processes where AI could be piloted, forming internal advisory groups, and creating clear pathways for younger employees who will enter the workforce already fluent in these tools.
"The younger generation coming to work will have grown up with AI as a personal assistant, a tutor, a companion," she said. "You need to create pathways for them — and for yourself."
She also addressed data security concerns, advising businesses never to upload confidential information into commercial AI platforms. For organizations with sensitive data needs, she highlighted the growing availability of smaller AI models that can run entirely on a local computer without requiring an internet connection.
"Trust and transparency," Wang said, "will ultimately decide how successful your AI integration will be."
The event was organized by the Greater Brownsville EDC as part of its ongoing commitment to preparing the region's business community for the demands of an AI-driven economy. A roundtable discussion focusing on employer recruitment, workforce skill gaps, and regional support strategies followed Wang's presentation.
Editor's Note: The Greater Brownsville EDC can be reached at https://greaterbrownsville.com/
