« Humanity must be at the centre of tomorrow’s Internet. The future of the Internet is ours to shape for the next generation. »
In 2016, the Internet Society launched an initiative to unravel and identify the factors, as well as the uncertainties, that will shape the future of the Internet. Unlike other types of studies conducted by the private Internet industry, this is an essay involving the entire Internet community, its expertise and the variety of its experiences as stakeholders anchored in our global community. A picture of the future emerged through a series of interviews, surveys and stakeholder consultations over an 18-month period. This image suggests that technology will permeate all aspects of our societies in a way we do not yet imagine; however, the fundamental values of the Internet will remain as important in the 5 to 7 years to come, as they were 25 years ago.
The Paths to Our Digital Future interactive report examines the Internet over the next five to seven years and identifies the factors that will shape its future. Bringing together many facets of today’s Internet (governance, economics, artificial intelligence, standards, Internet of things, etc.), this report reveals a multitude of challenges and possibilities to safeguard the Internet for the next generation and provide recommendations on what can be done today to achieve the Internet promise for all and everywhere. It also focuses on the influence that stakeholders will have on individual rights and freedoms, the media and society, and digital divides.
Explore the interactive report online: Paths to Our Digital Future.
Click here to access and download the PDF report.