Berners-Lee originally wanted an easy way for researchers to share information without having to exchange emails. The existing Internet, then in its infancy and very rudimentary compared to today, was key to his proposal. And Berners-Lee said things are on the right track in the early stages.
“At the root of the entire infrastructure was the intention to enable collaboration, foster compassion, and generate creativity – what I call the 3 Cs – to be a tool to empower humanity. ” explains Berners-Lee. “His first decade of the Web fulfilled that promise. The Web would be decentralized by a long tail of content and options, creating smaller, more localized communities, empowering individuals, and creating huge We developed values.”
His warning is not new. Berners-Lee pointed to the problem he raised five years ago: “The web is dominated by the private interests of a few corporations, eroding its value and causing its collapse and damage.” There is.
“Five years after the web’s 35th anniversary, rapid advances in AI are exacerbating these concerns and proving that problems on the web are not isolated but deeply intertwined with emerging technologies. ” says Berners-Lee.
From his perspective, there are two main issues that need to be addressed. One is the concentration of power, which has fragmented the web as companies hook their platforms onto users to maximize profits, he said. He called it an “exploitative business model” and said it was “particularly serious” this year as it is an election year.
This is a rather scathing open letter pointing out the lack of diversity, the forces of capitalism, and poor governance. To address this, he calls for reform of the current system, or even “the creation of a new system that truly serves the best interests of humanity.”
“To make this new movement a reality, it won’t just happen. We need support for those leading the reforms, from researchers to inventors to advocates. We must strive to amplify and promote examples and change the collective mindset of global citizens,” Berners-Lee says.
