At the Austin Technology Council, we believe AI can enhance how we work and coordinate, but it cannot replace friendship, trust, or the human bonds that make innovation possible. Tools can remind, summarize, and suggest. People reciprocate, mentor, and show up when it matters. That distinction is core to our mission.
Our stance: AI for logistics. Humans for life.
Use AI to find the time, surface the context, and remove friction, then spend that time with people.
Why this matters to Austin’s tech ecosystem
-
Innovation is relational. Breakthroughs emerge from teams that collaborate, debate, and build trust over time.
-
Retention is human. People stay where they feel seen and supported, not where they rack up minutes in app.
-
Community scales opportunity. Introductions, peer support, and shared learning compound in a way software alone cannot.
Principles we encourage
-
Measure connection outcomes, not screen time. Count introductions made, cross team collaborations launched, repeat attendance at in person gatherings, and mentorships formed.
-
Design for real encounters. Use AI to cluster interests, propose small group matches, and prepare agendas, then meet in person or on cameras on sessions where people engage, not multitask.
-
Protect no screen blocks. Reserve time in meetings and events for structured conversation and unstructured mingling.
-
Reward community leadership. Recognize employees who host roundtables, mentor, or create cross company bridges.
-
Default to transparency. When deploying AI companions or assistants, state the purpose clearly. Augment human connection, do not replace it.
Practical actions tech companies can use now
-
Event design checklist. Build every gathering with three parts. A brief shared context, a guided conversation with small prompts, and an open mingle.
-
Introduce with intent. Set a monthly goal for warm introductions that connect members, customers, and partners who can help each other. Track outcomes, not volume.
-
Office hours for connection. Offer a recurring time where leaders and team members meet for short conversations. Keep notes on follow ups and deliver on them.
-
Mentor circles. Form small groups that meet regularly for learning and support. Rotate a simple agenda that encourages equal voices.
-
Customer walk and talk. Replace one status call each month with a walk in person when possible or a cameras on conversation with no slides.
-
Celebrate others publicly. Highlight one colleague, member, or partner each week on internal channels or social media without self promotion.
How ATC will lead
-
Programs that prioritize Human Interaction (H.I.). Our events feature structured networking, guided conversations, and peer roundtables that convert attendance into relationships.
-
Member matchmaking. We will continue using AI to surface relevant connections, then facilitate human first introductions.
-
Shared playbooks. We will publish simple frameworks on our blog that any company can adopt to strengthen trust, collaboration, and community.
Loneliness is a real challenge, but the antidote is not another chatbot, it is community. As a region, let us deploy AI to clear the path and then choose people for the moments that matter.
Community. Collaboration. Conversations.
If your company wants to pilot these practices or cohost a human interaction forward event, connect with ATC.