Lady Gaga Calls on Tech Developers to Step Up During COVID-19 Crisis

Rolling Stone • April 7, 2020

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Pop star speaks out for initiative supported by United Nations and IBM

Lady Gaga has called for the world’s 24 million tech developers to work toward solutions to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


The pop star issued her Call for Code statement Tuesday, in association with the 2020 IBM Call for Code Global Challenge. The initiative was created in 2018 by David Clark Cause and is supported by United Nations Human Rights and the Linux Foundation.

In a video message posted to Twitter, Gaga said, “To all of the developers, problem solvers, innovators, we need you right now during COVID-19 more than ever — your time, your talent — to use technology and data to change the world before the world changes us, even though it already has. Now is the time to fight back against this coronavirus, to use open source technology, to solve problems at scale, and to save lives. A great technology solution can span the globe and help so many others. I know you know this. I know this is why you do what you do.”


She urged those interested to visit the Call for Code website for more information. Interested parties can submit their ideas by April 27 and should focus on three areas: “crisis communications, ways to improve remote learning, and how to inspire cooperative local communities,” according to a release.


Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will serve on the Call for Code Eminent Jury for the second year in a row and will select the winning 2020 solutions that address both COVID-19 and climate change. The first three COVID-19 solutions will be chosen by May 5th with deployment beginning May 15th. IBM has pledged $25 million to develop these new ideas.

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