As the 2026 NFL Draft wraps, there’s a new voice shaping decisions inside team picks —not a scout, coach, or GM… but artificial intelligence.

In this bonus episode of the IntoTexas AI podcast, Shannon Belew breaks down how the National Football League is using AI to evaluate players, simulate draft scenarios, and gain a competitive edge—and why that’s only part of the story.

Because while headlines focus on AI models, the Dallas Cowboys are taking a different approach.

Led by CIO Matt Messick, the organization is investing in something far less flashy—but far more important:

• Breaking down data silos
• Modernizing hardware for real scouting workloads
• Building a unified data platform to power AI at scale

The result? A foundation that turns AI from a tool into a true decision-making advantage.

This episode explores:

• How AI is already being used across the NFL draft process
• What experts—and team executives—are saying about its impact
• Why most teams may be focusing on the wrong part of AI
• And what business leaders can learn from the Cowboys’ infrastructure-first strategy

Because in the NFL—and beyond—the future of AI isn’t about who has the best model.

It’s about who builds the best foundation.

The Gen Z dilemma is real.

As Texas accelerates its position as a national leader in the artificial intelligence economy, a surprising challenge is emerging—the very generation best equipped to use AI is starting to push back against it.

In this episode of the IntoTexas AI Podcast, Shannon Belew explores the rise of AI-native talent—workers who treat AI as a built-in partner, not just a tool—and the growing tension among Gen Z as concerns about job loss, career paths, and relevance begin to surface.

With cities like Dallas and Austin attracting a surge of early-career talent, Texas sits at the center of this shift. But as companies invest heavily in AI, a critical question is forming:

How do you build an AI-powered economy when your workforce is increasingly skeptical of AI itself?

This episode breaks down:

• What defines AI-native employees—and why they think differently
• Why Gen Z is beginning to resist AI despite growing up with it
• The emerging disconnect between executives and the workforce
• The risks for Texas companies if this tension goes unresolved
• And the three moves leaders must make to turn skepticism into momentum

If Texas gets this right, it won’t just lead in AI adoption—
It will define how AI-native work actually functions.

In this episode of IntoTexas AI, Shannon Belew breaks down a bold declaration from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: stop focusing on ROI —and start experimenting.

But this isn’t just theory.

In Texas—home to 50+ Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of publicly traded firms—leaders are under real pressure to deliver quarterly results while investing heavily in AI. And that tension is showing up in real ways:

• Thousands of layoffs tied to AI-driven restructuring
• Massive investments in infrastructure, talent, and experimentation
• A growing gap between short-term expectations and long-term opportunity

This episode explores the AI paradox:

Why companies are cutting costs and investing at the same time—and why waiting for clear ROI could put you behind.

You’ll learn:

• Why AI doesn’t fit traditional ROI models
• How leading companies are shifting from efficiency to experimentation
• What Texas executives must balance between Wall Street pressure and long-term bets
• A new playbook for AI: it's a strategy — not a project

If you’re a CEO, board member, or leader navigating AI investment, this episode will challenge how you think about value, timing, and risk.

AI job growth is accelerating across the U.S.—but Texas is quickly emerging as one of the most important talent hubs for the next wave of AI transformation.

In this episode of IntoTexas AI, host Shannon Belew breaks down where AI job growth is headed between 2026 and 2030—and why Texas is uniquely positioned to lead.

Drawing on hiring trends from Indeed, we explore how AI demand is expanding beyond engineering roles into business, operations, and product leadership—and what that means for companies and professionals alike.

Plus, a closer look at Dallas-Fort Worth and how enterprise demand, infrastructure investment, and workforce evolution are reshaping the region into a different kind of AI hub.

If you're building, hiring, or navigating the future of work—this episode is your snapshot of where the market is going next.

Oracle layoffs hit Austin — but there's more to this tech workforce story.

In this episode of IntoTexas AI, we break down how Oracle’s restructuring reflects a much bigger shift: trading people to fund AI investments.

This isn’t about cost-cutting. It’s about capital reallocation.

We also unpack a key insight: how do boards hold CEOs accountable if they aren't asking the right questions about AI. 

In this episode:

• What Oracle’s layoffs mean for Austin’s tech ecosystem
• How AI is reshaping hiring, org structures, and investment priorities
• The real trade-offs CEOs are making to fund AI
• What business leaders need to understand right now

If you’re building, investing, or leading in Texas, this is an AI data point you can’t ignore.

Elon Musk is making another massive move — a $20 billion investment into TeraFab, a company focused on AI-driven manufacturing and next-generation infrastructure.- in space.

But this isn’t just another AI story.

In this episode of IntoTexas AI, we break down what this investment really means: the shift of AI from software into the physical world — factories, energy, and large-scale systems — and why Texas continues to be at the center of it.

From talent wars to energy demand to the future of autonomous production. Is the future every builder, investor, and operator in Texas should be trying to better understand?.

What you’ll learn:

• What TeraFab is and why it matters
• Why AI is moving beyond software into infrastructure
• The potential impact on Texas manufacturing and energy
• What to watch next as this unfolds

What started as uncertainty around a major AI data center expansion in Abilene, Texas has quickly turned into a defining moment for the AI infrastructure race.

After Oracle and OpenAI stepped back, Microsoft is now set to lease 900 megawatts of capacity — reinforcing the scale of demand for compute and the growing importance of Texas in the global AI ecosystem.

In this episode of IntoTexas AI, we explore what changed, why data center strategy is evolving so quickly, and how Abilene is becoming one of the most important nodes in the future of AI.