How Houston Doesn’t Get Left Behind in the AI Revolution
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping our world—moving into classrooms, clinics, public service systems, workforce programs, and the daily operations of community organizations across Houston. Many Houstonians are wondering who is making these decisions and how the benefits and risks will be shared. That is why Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Greater Houston Community Foundation, and Mario Castillo, District H Council Member, hosted an interactive session bringing leaders across sectors—from business, government, nonprofits, philanthropy, to education—together for an in-depth conversation about how Houston can lead in AI adoption without leaving communities behind.
Continue reading to see the key outcomes from this working session, centered on community voice and the role of public institutions in shaping responsible technology use.
Houston’s Opportunity: Mario Castillo, District H Council Member
Mario Castillo, District H Council Member, began with an inspiring message about Houston’s ability to solve problems that nobody else thought possible. Mario expands by saying, “We’ve put humans on the moon. We’ve revolutionized cardiac surgeries… Houston is positioned to lead.” He reinforced how, in Houston, a place where 145 languages are spoken, innovation doesn’t just happen in labs; it occurs in kitchens, community centers, and corner stores. In other words, Houston’s everyday creativity is its competitive edge. His message was clear: Houston doesn’t need permission to lead the AI revolution.
According to the Brookings Institution’s recent report on 387 U.S. metro areas for AI readiness, Houston has world-class infrastructure, which includes Fortune 500 companies, the Texas Medical Center, and several universities—all of which train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders. With Houston identified as a star hub, our region has the opportunity to leverage its strengths to shape how AI tools are used for generations to come. Mario shared, “Houston has the right mix of people, innovation, and all the ingredients needed to stake our claim as leaders in the AI field.” Mario highlighted Houston’s go-getter spirit, noting that Brookings Institution reports from 2021 and 2025 show the city’s remarkable rise—from near the bottom of the rankings to the second-highest tier in just four years.
AI is here, rewriting, literally and figuratively, everything—from education, healthcare, workforce development, governance, and community service. Mario emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration for building, shaping, and safeguarding how these AI tools are used. A unique strength of Houston is its ability to foster successful cross-sector partnerships—an essential ingredient for leading in the AI era. He challenged the audience by highlighting how everyone in the room brings expertise to build the governance structures, partnerships, and talent pipelines that ensure Houston not only participates in the AI economy but also helps define it.
Click here to learn more about Mario Castillo.
Relationship Building
Mary Rodriguez, Vice President of People and Culture at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, led the group in a lively icebreaker, inviting everyone to connect with someone new in the audience and dive into the questions below:
- Share a moment when technology either saved you or failed you.
- What’s the most human thing you do in your work, the thing that AI should never replace? And what’s the thing you would gladly hand over tomorrow if you could?
- If the communities you serve could build the AI they needed, what would it know about them that current technology misses?
Quickly, the audience engaged in deep connection with one another, highlighting how we can all contribute to making better decisions for the world we want to create by harnessing AI technology responsibly.
Click here to learn more about Mary Rodriguez.
Fireside Chat Featuring Vilas Dhar
Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and a global voice on AI and technology, participated in an engaging conversation with Diana Zarzuelo, Vice President of Community Impact at the Community Foundation. Vilas uncovered several key trends emerging across Houston related to how we can leverage AI to strengthen human dignity in our region.
Vilas began talking about how opportunities in America often arise in places you don’t expect. Right now, society as a whole has a responsibility to leverage technology to rebuild economic structures and leapfrog communities to a better place. He shared a personal anecdote about growing up: whenever his family had enough resources, they would travel back to India, where his parents were from. He highlighted a critical observation about his travels to rural India, “I saw a different version of what community was—sharing in struggle and success. There was a whole world out there they did not know about, but what really mattered the most was kindness, empathy, and building connections.”
Vilas talked about how this current generation of AI empowers four areas:
- Synthesizing Data: AI synthesizes data into information that helps to inform decisions.
- Enhancing Individual Capacities:AI helps automate more mechanical work, freeing up time for greater focus on meaningful outcomes and recommendations.
- Creating a Better Understanding: AI helps us understand the world more accurately, enabling us to answer questions in areas where we have failed.
- Increasing Creativity:AI creates new possibilities and avenues for human creativity.
Right now, across our nation, Vilas has observed widespread skepticism toward AI. People are suspicious of AI, often due to limited understanding and a sense that it reduces their control. Vilas expanded, “A fundamental thing is that we need a voice in this. Luckily, $1.5 billion has been spent on AI development between the 1950s and 2022. We need to invest in building public ownership and control over AI to ensure we put in place rules to eliminate bias and use AI to solve community problems. We need to empower people to use AI to make our work and lives better—not a tool they have to use.” Vilas was adamant that the people in the room—local government and others who serve our community—represent our civil society, and that the private sector cannot be the only ones involved in advancing the most powerful technology in our world’s history.
According to David Rock’s article in the Harvard Business Review, What’s Lost When We Work with AI, According to Neuroscience, the skeptics of AI should pivot their thinking. David articulates how using AI is inevitable, however the real challenge is how do we use AI while still preserving the fundamental things that make us human—our ability to think, process, and team with one another. AI tools generate one-dimensional solutions, while human insights are much more vast (Rock, 2025). David’s real question he challenges us all to consider is how do we leverage AI tools to enhance our thoughts, not replace a human’s deep thinking and collaboration.
Vilas described this moment as a unique opportunity: we still have the chance to shape how AI is built and deployed. AI technology moves at lightning speed—it can be designed, deployed, and scaled in weeks. But trust, community voice, and shared decision-making? Those take time. This is the core tension: technological timelines accelerate rapidly, whereas human timelines evolve much more slowly.
If we don’t act intentionally, AI will be something done to communities, not built with them. Today, the flow is mostly one-way: vendors create AI tools, and governments purchase them. What is missing is the capacity and confidence in the public sector to lead the AI adoption responsibly.
This is a leadership moment for Houston, for the country, and for the world. We have a chance to define what ethical AI looks like. The question is: will we seize this opportunity?
Vilas expressed how AI isn’t just about automation—it’s about transformation. He shared an example of AI in education, how teachers can leverage AI to support fact-based learning and skill development, freeing up more time to focus on social-emotional growth in the next generation of leaders. However, to unlock these opportunities, Vilas highlighted the need for a shared understanding of what AI represents and how it can serve the public good. This alignment means creating spaces where nonprofits and institutions can build capacity, not in silos, but through collaboration.
As we look toward the future of AI in the public sector, Vilas is optimistic. Through these tools, we reimagine community: a space that celebrates successes, confronts challenges together, and thrives on empathy, kindness, and meaningful connections. When we lead with these values, AI becomes more than a system—it becomes a catalyst for a more inclusive, compassionate world.
Click here to learn more about Vilas Dhar.
Coordinated Action
Vilas reinforced how advancing social impact through AI isn’t a solo endeavor—it requires collaborative initiatives, deep community engagement, and accessible learning resources. By evaluating the right tools and identifying where AI can have the greatest impact, we can move beyond theory to action. Together, we have the opportunity to harness technology not just for efficiency, but also to build solutions that empower communities and create lasting change.
The Community Foundation will continue partnering with donors, nonprofits, and the broader community to serve as a catalytic force for philanthropic impact. Through strategic and innovative giving solutions, we help Houston donors address the city’s most pressing challenges while leveraging Houston’s position as a world-class city. The Community Foundation offers multiple giving solutions, including through donor advised funds, the acceptance of noncash assets, and collaborative grantmaking opportunities, all supported by comprehensive education and due diligence services.
Stay informed about how the Community Foundation addresses essential community needs through transformative impact by signing up for the Community Impact Funds’ quarterly Insider Update newsletter.
Helpful Resources for the Philanthropic Sector
Below are some additional resources provided by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation:
Learning Hub
The Learning Hub provides resources and learning experiences to nonprofit organizations at any stage of their journey towards becoming a data- and AI-enabled organization.
Funder Resources
This curated hub helps foundations understand where AI fits into their strategy, strengthening the sector’s technical fluency and providing practical guidance for responsibly funding AI-for-good initiatives.
Grant Guardian
This free tool simplifies financial due diligence for funders, enabling faster, more transparent grantmaking.
More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation
- Driving Changes with Data: Key Drivers to Increase Economic Mobility in Houston
- Advancing Impact Donor Breakfast: Building Thriving Neighborhoods
- Amplified Collaborative Giving in Houston: Fueling High-Impact, Community-Driven Solutions
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