Despite the swirl of tech negativity percolating public discourse, its value and innovation across multiple sectors over the years.
While tech giants face accusations of eroding privacy, spreading misinformation and eliminating jobs, many of their contributions, especially in social causes such as pediatric cancer, tell a different story.
“We started Tech Tackles Cancer and started fundraising for pediatric cancer because we lost a colleague’s son, and that’s what got us involved and made us aware,” said Chris Lynch (pictured), TTC founder and executive chairman and chief executive officer of AtScale Inc. “I had no idea that pediatric cancer was different than cancer that adults get. We migrated to playing these rock-and-roll rumble shows and soliciting executives from life science and technology, primarily to come sing and get supported to raise money for pediatric cancer awareness and funding.”
Lynch spoke with Dave Vellante, chief analyst at theCUBE Research, during a recent CUBE Conversation. They discussed tech companies shaping the future of business and technology while addressing pressing societal issues, proving that there’s more to this sector than meets the eye.
AI and positive impact tamper tech negativity
Lynch and his team of tech and life science executives have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for research, which has helped improve survival rates in children suffering from cancer. What was once a bleak prognosis with only a 55% survival rate in the 1950s has now soared to over 85% for children aged 1 to 14.
“From my perspective, it’s about community,” Lynch said. “It’s about solving an important problem, but it’s about understanding how you can do that in the same motion of your daily business activities and make all those things better.”
While philanthropy is the heart of TTC, it rises above tech negativity and serves as an exceptional networking opportunity. The annual event draws executives, venture capitalists and industry professionals from across sectors. Companies such as AtScale and Wells Fargo Bank sponsor the event, recognizing the value of supporting both a charitable cause and a vibrant tech community, according to Lynch.
“From my perspective, people should sponsor Tech Tackles Cancer because pediatric cancer is an important problem to solve,” he said. “Beyond that, if you don’t have a philanthropic budget because you’re a startup like AtScale, take it out of your marketing and events budget, because you’re going to meet potential customers, you’re going to meet potential employees, you’re going to meet potential partners that you’ll start your next company with.”
Applied AI — the use of AI to solve real-world problems — is drawing attention as a tool to improve business efficiency and address healthcare challenges. However, the current hype surrounding AI must be met with caution, because while the technology holds incredible potential, it also requires thoughtful application to avoid misuse, according to Lynch. The tech industry must navigate the fine line between innovation and responsibility as AI continues to evolve.
“I think the challenge is getting our sea legs and moving forward in small, choppy steps versus trying to change the world in one stroke,” Lynch said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. But I think that looking at real business problems we can solve, I’m much more interested early days in applied BI, applied AI and generative BI.”
Here’s theCUBE’s complete interview with Chris Lynch: