AI at Work: What to Automate, What to Keep Human

Stop asking "Will AI take my job?"

The more profitable question is: Which parts of your work are becoming routine—and which parts are becoming more valuable because they require human judgment, context, and trust?

Hosted inside the Rotary Community Room at Midland College, AI at Work is a focused evening of task-mapping and cross-industry dialogue designed for professionals across the Permian Basin who want practical clarity on emerging technology without sitting through technical coding lectures or sales presentations.

You do not need to work in tech, know how to code, or bring a laptop. Instead, you will evaluate your actual daily responsibilities:

• The Task Separation Method: Distinguish between automated tasks and irreplaceable human roles across engineering, operations, finance, project management, and field services.
  
• The 4-Quadrant Work Audit: Categorize your workload into Automate, Augment, Own, and Develop.
  
• Cross-Industry Reality Checks: Compare operational pressures with peers across Midland’s energy, logistics, professional services, and corporate sectors.
  
• The 90-Day AI Edge Plan: Leave with one specific administrative workflow to streamline and one core human capability to deliberately sharpen this quarter.
  

No robotic demos. No speculative doom-and-gloom. Just a clear framework to protect your time, upgrade your focus, and stay ahead of organizational changes.

WHAT ATTENDEES WILL BUILD

Every paid participant receives physical strategy templates to map their day-to-day work:

• The Work Task Map: A diagnostic tool separating routine drafting, research, and data coordination from high-stakes decisions.
  
• The Human Leverage Rubric: Guidelines to isolate where automation creates unacceptable compliance, safety, or relational risk.
  
• The 90-Day AI Edge Action Sheet: A one-page execution roadmap to take back to your team on Friday morning.
  
• Post-Event Digital Synthesis: Clean digital templates sent directly to your inbox for internal team reviews.
  

PROGRAM TIMELINE (120 MINUTES)

• 6:10 PM – 6:30 PM | Check-In & Coffee Reception
  Pick up your workbook packet, table assignment, and networking prompt card. Enjoy complimentary hot drip coffee and refreshments.
  
• 6:30 PM – 6:40 PM | Framing: Jobs vs. Tasks
  A brief opening establishing the core principle: AI rarely automates entire jobs; it absorbs specific tasks within them.
  
• 6:40 PM – 6:58 PM | What AI Is Changing in Everyday Work
  Practical review of routine knowledge work: reporting, initial drafts, scheduling logistics, and operational summaries.
  
• 6:58 PM – 7:20 PM | Individual Work Task Audit
  Fill out your personal Work Task Map (Automate / Augment / Own / Develop) with roaming facilitator support.
  
• 7:20 PM – 7:32 PM | Coffee & Reset Break (12 Mins)
  Refresh beverages and share opening observations with room prompt: "What part of your role has shifted most over the past two years?"
  
• 7:32 PM – 7:52 PM | Table Sprints: What Must Stay Human?
  Facilitated small-group discussions evaluating judgment, field experience, accountability, negotiation, and stakeholder trust.
  
• 7:52 PM – 8:12 PM | Cross-Industry Networking Rotation
  Rotate into structured introductions with peers from different sectors (pairing energy operators with finance, legal, and engineering leads).
  
• 8:12 PM – 8:22 PM | Finalize Your 90-Day Plan
  Lock down one task to delegate/automate and one human edge to strengthen over the next quarter.
  
• 8:22 PM – 8:30 PM | Wrap-Up & Contact Exchange
  Exchange details with key contacts, access digital templates, and adjourn promptly at 8:30 PM.
  

VENUE, PARKING & HOSPITALITY

• Venue: Rotary Community Room, Midland College, 3600 N Garfield St, Midland, TX 79705.
  
• Parking: Ample free surface parking is available in the main student and visitor parking lots directly adjacent to the community center.
  
• Hospitality: Complimentary freshly brewed local drip coffee, specialty hot teas, and bottled water are provided for all attendees throughout the evening. Full meals are not served.
  
• Technology Requirements: No laptop or tablet is needed. All active work is conducted using physical, pen-and-paper strategic worksheets provided at check-in.
  

Event venue & nearby stays

Rotary Community Room - Midland College, 3600 North Garfield Street, Midland, United States

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