![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.dallaschamber.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2025_Convergence-AI_EcoDev_Speaker_Carlton-Dossman_Joshua-Ridley_02-300x200.jpg\")
Carlton Dossman, corporate vice president of U.S. commercial industries at Microsoft, and Joshua Ridley, founder and chief growth officer and former CEO of Willow, at Convergence AI Dallas 2025.\nWorkforce and education in the AI era<\/p>\n
Entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban will headline the Dallas Regional Chamber\u2019s 2026 Convergence AI conference, presented by Accenture and the T.D. Jakes Foundation. <\/p>\n
The event returns to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas on March 30-31. Now in its third year, the conference is one of the largest AI business gatherings in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), drawing more than 750 leaders to discuss the latest innovations in AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cuban on AI literacy and the end of \u2018static SaaS\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cuban\u2019s appearance comes as he continues to stress the urgency of AI adoption for business survival.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are going to be two types of companies in this world: those who are great at AI and everybody else,\u201d Cuban said. \u201cAnd the \u2018everybody else\u2019 is going to fail because AI is such a transformative tool.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a recent interview on the \u201cTechnology Brothers\u201d podcast, Cuban also argued that the era of rigid, static software-as-a-service platforms is fading. The next wave of value lies in personalizing AI models to fit complex, real-world workflows rather than forcing companies to adapt to off-the-shelf software. He frequently calls AI the \u201cultimate time-saving hack,\u201d emphasizing productivity gains for both individuals and enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carlton Dossman, corporate vice president of U.S. commercial industries at Microsoft, and Joshua Ridley, founder and chief growth officer and former CEO of Willow, at Convergence AI Dallas 2025.
\nWorkforce and education in the AI era<\/p>\n
Beyond enterprise adoption, Convergence AI Dallas 2026 will examine how AI is reshaping workforce strategy and education.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kelley Cornish, President and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, will join Thomson Reuters to discuss the future of talent, focusing on how employers can address widening skills gaps as AI systems take on more routine cognitive tasks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Education will also be a highlight. Dr. Kristen DiCerbo, Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, will discuss the impact of KhanMigo, the organization\u2019s AI-powered tutor and teaching assistant. In conversation with Capital One, Dr. DiCerbo will explore how personalized, AI-driven learning tools are influencing classroom instruction by providing real-time feedback to students while streamlining lesson planning for educators.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AECOM and the rise of the \u2018autonomous engineer\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
While workforce conversations look ahead, Dallas-based infrastructure firm AECOM is already embedding AI into its core operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AECOM President Lara Poloni and Chief Technology Officer Sarah Urbanowicz will discuss how the company is integrating this technology across its global engineering workflows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, AECOM completed a $390 million acquisition of Norwegian AI startup Consigli, according to industry reports. Its \u2018autonomous engineer\u2019 platform is designed to automate complex engineering tasks, such as spatial analysis, design coordination and multidisciplinary optimization. The move reflects a broader shift in the architecture, engineering and construction sector, where firms are increasingly developing proprietary AI capabilities to improve efficiency, reduce costs and maintain a competitive advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coding agents and the \u2018Clawbot\u2019 era\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beyond simple automation, agentic software development is moving to center stage this year. OpenClaw\u2019s viral rise reflects a broader shift toward AI systems operating with greater autonomy across technical workflows. That shift is accelerating the adoption of agent-driven development tools capable of reading, writing and deploying code with minimal human oversight, reshaping how software is built and maintained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The transition brings both opportunity and risk. Consulting firm Improving will host a main stage interview with Alex Laubscher, Field CTO of Cognition, the company behind the autonomous coding agent Devin. He will be joined by Chris Gustafson, Director of Americas Office of Field CTO at Okta, an identity and access management company focused on securing AI agents, to examine the growing challenge of managing identity, access and governance for a new generation of nonhuman developers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leaders from Palantir and Fujitsu Intelligence will continue the discussion, outlining how strategic agent deployments are redesigning workflows and delivering measurable returns across industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From strategy to implementation: Convergence Labs<\/p>\n
Returning for a second year, Convergence Labs, presented by Slalom, will offer live demonstrations and technical deep dives aimed at moving beyond high-level strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Consulting firm Slalom will lead demos alongside breakout sessions featuring leaders from AT&T, Humana, RTX, Google, Lockheed Martin, Gartner, Caterpillar and others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sessions focus on navigating what many describe as the \u2018jagged frontier,\u2019 which involves identifying where technology can deliver an immediate return on investment and where human oversight remains essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.dallaschamber.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2025_Convergence-AI_EcoDev_Panel_James-Harding_06-300x200.jpg\")
James Harding, generative AI technical solutions consultant at Google, at Convergence AI Dallas 2025.
\nNew this year: Public Sector AI Workshop<\/p>\n
This year, the conference is partnering with the North Texas Innovation Alliance to host an invitation-only workshop for public sector leaders focused on responsible AI deployment. The session will bring together government and civic officials to examine how AI can improve public services, strengthen internal operations and support measurable community outcomes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Positioning DFW as the home of applied AI\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 2026 Convergence AI conference positions DFW as a hub for enterprise AI deployment rather than just experimentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDFW has become a proving ground for applied AI,\u201d said Duane Dankesreiter, DRC Senior Vice President of Research & Development. \u201cWhat makes DFW different is the concentration of companies actually putting these technologies to work across infrastructure, finance, health care, education and the workforce. Convergence AI Dallas brings that applied focus together in one place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. More information and tickets are available at\u00a0www.convergencedallas.ai<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The story was written by DRC Research and Innovation and first appeared on the Dallas Regional Chamber blog. The DRC is a Dallas Innovates partner.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss what\u2019s next. Subscribe\u00a0to\u00a0Dallas\u00a0Innovates.<\/p>\n Track Dallas-Fort Worth\u2019s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \tR E A D\u00a0\u00a0 N E X T\t<\/p>\n \t North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch.\u00a0Here are our editors’ picks. Plus, you’ll find more selections to “save the date.”<\/p>\n \t Data scientist Anmolika Singh put Dallas on the global AI Tinkerers map. At the first meetup, more than 30 pros\u2014founders to Fortune 500 technologists\u2014showed up to trade ideas, projects, and solutions.<\/p>\n \t AI seem overwhelming? Just go to office hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/calendar-lukpedclub_istockphoto_weekly-calendar-811171674_1027x1027.jpg\")
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