Web Creator Tim Berners-Lee Calls for AI Regulation, Data Sovereignty to Reclaim Internet's Original Vision

September 29, 2025
Web Creator Tim Berners-Lee Calls for AI Regulation, Data Sovereignty to Reclaim Internet's Original Vision
  • Berners-Lee proposes establishing a non-profit, international AI research body inspired by CERN to guide ethical AI development and promote global governance.

  • He emphasizes the risks of AI misuse and the importance of regulation, drawing parallels with past failures of social media to highlight the need for oversight.

  • Berners-Lee remains optimistic that restoring the web’s foundational values is possible through regulation, global cooperation, and technological solutions, asserting it’s not too late to reclaim the web’s original vision.

  • He advocates for international cooperation and regulation, inspired by CERN, to restore the web’s principles of openness, collaboration, and empowerment for all.

  • Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, has expressed concern that the web has deviated from its original vision of openness and accessibility, largely due to exploitation by AI and private corporations.

  • He recalls that he created the web at CERN with the goal of fostering global collaboration and ensuring it was accessible to everyone without financial barriers, donating its intellectual property to the public domain in 1993.

  • Berners-Lee criticizes the current web for being no longer free or open, highlighting how it is dominated by a few large platforms that harvest user data and promote addictive algorithms.

  • He argues that the rise of Web 2.0 has led to a concentration of power among tech giants who exploit user data for profit, turning users into products and fueling misinformation and harmful content.

  • Berners-Lee advocates for a decentralized model of data management, exemplified by the Solid project, which allows users to control their personal data through personal online data stores called 'pods'.

  • He and MIT developed Solid, an open-source platform that empowers individuals to own and control their biometric, financial, and social media data, emphasizing personal ownership and data sovereignty.

  • Berners-Lee emphasizes reclaiming data sovereignty through Solid, giving users authority over their information and control over what they share with applications.

  • Despite its benefits, the web has facilitated misinformation, polarization, authoritarian control, and challenges posed by AI, which makes it difficult to distinguish between humans and machines.

  • He warns that AI development is at a critical juncture, stressing the need for proper regulation to prevent monopolistic control and ensure AI serves the public good, similar to CERN's principles.

Summary based on 5 sources


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