<div id="readability-page-1">Editor’s Note: If you’ve been around markets long enough, you learn a simple truth: technology doesn’t just change industries. It changes how capital flows. It changes who wins. And it changes how quickly fortunes are made … or lost. Today’s essay comes from Marc Chaikin, a Wall Street veteran with more than 50 years of experience studying exactly those shifts. Marc is the creator of the Chaikin Money Flow indicator – one of the most widely used tools for tracking institutional buying and selling pressure – and the founder of Chaikin Analytics. For decades, he’s focused on what’s happening beneath the surface of the market… beyond the headlines, beyond the hype, and often before the crowd catches on. In today’s piece, I’ve invited Marc to share a powerful real-world example of how modern technology is quietly transforming lives … and why the massive data boom behind AI and automation is doing far more than fueling stock charts. It’s reshaping the global economy in real time. And this isn’t just theory. Marc is hosting a free live market briefing on Tuesday, February 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern, where he’ll break down what these technological shifts mean for investors right now — and how to identify the opportunities most people are still missing.If you’d like to join him, you can reserve your seat for Marc’s free broadcast here. Mo Tajer needed a lifesaving surgery at one of the worst times in history… The 31-year-old Englishman had testicular cancer. And he had undergone four rounds of chemotherapy. But unfortunately, the cancer spread to his abdomen… Doctors found a roughly two-inch tumor wrapped around his aorta and inferior vena cava. The aorta is the body’s most important blood vessel. It carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. And the inferior vena cava moves blood back to the heart. Doctors knew the tumor could rupture either of these major blood vessels at any moment. If that happened, Tajer could die from internal bleeding. Tajer had to get the tumor removed as soon as possible. But doctors faced a big problem… <h2>A Life-or-Death Problem With No Obvious Solution</h2> Tajer needed his surgery in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most major cities were locked down. And many countries had restricted travel. In hospitals all over the world, doctors and nurses dealt with a surging number of patients as best they could. A lot of those patients fought for their lives in COVID-19 wards. Many hospitals couldn’t keep up with the demand for beds. So they postponed most surgeries. Tajer couldn’t afford to delay his surgery, though. He needed help immediately. A traditional open surgery was out of the question. Tajer would’ve needed a two-week recovery in intensive care. And with so many COVID-19 patients, there wasn’t any room. That’s when his attending physician, Dr. Archie Fernando, had an idea… She could use a robot to remove the tumor in a less invasive way. You see, Tajer’s treatment took place at Guy’s Hospital in London. And the hospital owned a Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system from Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG)… As you can see, this roughly $2 million system has four robotic arms. The technology helps doctors perform minimally invasive surgeries – like removing tumors. It’s much safer than traditional open surgery. And it doesn’t require a long recovery. Globally, more than 6,700 hospitals use one of these robotic-assisted surgical systems. But there was another problem… Fernando had never performed that kind of surgery. So she had to get creative again. Specifically, she turned to Dr. Jim Porter for help. Porter is the medical director for robotic surgery at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He has conducted thousands of surgeries using the Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system. Hospital officials got Tajer to an operating room. Then, Fernando and Porter worked together for five hours to remove the tumor. Tajer made a quick recovery. And he went on to live his life without any lingering pain. This story gets even more amazing… <h2>The Critical Technology Most People Take for Granted</h2> Porter helped Fernando while wearing his pajamas at his home in Seattle. That’s right… Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter couldn’t travel to London. But thanks to modern technology, he saw everything in real time. And he guided Fernando step by step through the procedure. He didn’t just talk her through it, either. With a special program, Porter used his laptop to show Fernando what to do. He pinpointed exactly where she needed to cut Tajer. Fernando and Porter worked together to save Tajer’s life. But without another critical tool in today’s tech-heavy world, the procedure wouldn’t have been possible. We’re talking about high-speed internet. Think about it… Porter was 4,700 miles away from the operating room. And yet, it felt like he was standing right next to Fernando as she made the needed cuts to remove Tajer’s tumor. If it weren’t for high-speed internet, Tajer likely wouldn’t be alive today. We use high-speed internet for all sorts of things these days. And that dependence is only growing… Take artificial intelligence AI, for example. This powerful technology simply doesn’t work without a massive amount of data. And it’s critical for that data to move as quickly as possible from one point to another. Self-driving cars require the collection and processing of a constant stream of data as well. Otherwise, they couldn’t safely navigate the roads. Factory automation is intensifying all over the world, too. Folks, there’s no denying that AI was the hottest investing topic of 2025. And it could grow even further in 2026. Put simply, humanity keeps finding new and exciting ways to use the incredible tool of the internet. The massive data boom isn’t going away anytime soon. And this is exactly the kind of shift investors need to be paying attention to right now. When transformative technologies like high-speed internet or AI quietly become essential infrastructure, the biggest opportunities don’t always show up where people expect them. And the risks aren’t always obvious either. That’s why I’m stepping forward next week with a free live market briefing to explain what’s changing beneath the surface of today’s market — and how investors can position themselves as innovation accelerates in 2026 and beyond. On Tuesday, February 17, at 10 a.m. Eastern, I’ll walk through what I’m seeing right now… why some stocks are built to thrive in this environment while others are far more fragile than they appear… and how to identify the small group of companies with the strongest potential ahead. I’ll also share a brand-new analytical tool you’ll be able to try for yourself, along with two free stock recommendations during the broadcast. Click here to reserve your seat for this free live event — and I’ll see you there. Good investing, Marc Chaikin Market Expert and Founder, Chaikin Analytics P.S. Marc makes a strong point here: When technology becomes essential infrastructure, it changes the investment landscape in ways most people don’t see coming. That’s exactly what he’ll be breaking down in his free live broadcast on February 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern — be sure to sign up so you don’t miss it. </div>

ARKQ

The article discusses the ongoing tech boom driven by advancements in AI and automation, emphasizing how technology reshapes capital flow and economic dynamics. Marc Chaikin, a Wall Street veteran, highlights a real-world example of how robotic surgery saved a cancer patient's life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The piece also promotes Chaikin's upcoming live market briefing, where he will share insights on investment opportunities arising from these technological shifts.

- The article discusses how technology, particularly high-speed internet and robotic surgery, is transforming medical procedures and the global economy.  
- It recounts the story of Mo Tajer, who underwent life-saving robotic surgery guided remotely by an expert due to pandemic restrictions, highlighting the critical role of advanced technology in healthcare.  
- The author, Marc Chaikin, emphasizes the importance of understanding these technological shifts for investors and will host a market briefing to discuss emerging opportunities.

The Next Tech Boom Is Already Underway, and Here’s What’s Driving It