Long before ChatGPT, AI copilots, and massive data centers transformed Texas, the foundation for today’s AI economy was already being built.

In this retro episode of IntoTexas AI, Shannon Belew takes a deep look back at the technology revolution of the 1980s and explores how companies like Compaq, Texas Instruments, Dell, and Sematech helped turn Texas into one of the most important technology states in America.

From Houston’s PC revolution and Dallas semiconductor innovation to Austin’s rise as Silicon Hills, this episode connects the early personal computer era to today’s AI infrastructure boom.

Topics include:

• Compaq and the IBM-compatible PC revolution
• Texas Instruments and early voice-enabled computing
• Michael Dell arriving at UT Austin in 1983
• The rise of Telecom Corridor in North Texas
• Sematech and America’s semiconductor strategy
• Steve Jobs’ 1983 vision that foreshadowed generative AI
• Why the 1980s still matter to Texas AI today

This episode is both a retro technology story and a look at how the past shaped the future of AI in Texas.

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