Los líderes educativos de UTEP se reúnen para analizar el papel de la IA en la fuerza laboral futura de El Paso

More than 100 education and business leaders gathered at the University of Texas at El Paso on Tuesday to shape how artificial intelligence integrates into the region's education and workforce development, according to KVIA.

The College of Education hosted the Built Here Summit, where participants discussed creating an AI framework that prepares El Paso students and workers for an economy increasingly shaped by the technology. Clifton Tanabe, dean of the College of Education, emphasized that the focus must remain on people, not just technology. "Conversations about AI focus so much on the technology and platforms being utilized, but we know that at the end of the day it is our people we need to focus on," Tanabe said.

Tanabe noted El Paso's competitive advantage in workforce preparation. "There's something unique about the way in which we do work," he said. "I think that's something we can lean into. We're certainly doing it right now, and we've done it in other areas. In education, for example, we've created the leading pipeline in teacher preparation right here in El Paso."

Workforce leaders from Microsoft and Workforce Solutions Borderplex addressed the summit, discussing practices and policies businesses use to protect workers from displacement due to AI automation. Catherine Tabor, president of the Computer Science Teachers Association, stressed the irreplaceable role of educators. "AI is a tool for educators and students to use; it cannot teach," Tabor said. "Educators are still needed in the classroom to introduce students to the pursuit of knowledge and a love of learning."

Tanabe emphasized the importance of keeping humans at the center of the workplace as AI tools become more prevalent.