AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has launched a new automated virtual assistant to help Texans sign up for unemployment insurance (UI). The artificial intelligence-enabled chatbot can instantly answer many of the most common questions about the UI process. The program is expected to greatly relieve the pressure on the TWC UI website and call centers, which have seen activity spike to unprecedented levels in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Our top priority is to elimi...