The Future of the Internet

50 years ago, the first two computers “spoke” to each other over the ARPANET in December 1969. A message was transferred over the ARPANET from a computer science professor’s laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles to the second network node at the Stanford Research Institute. From that moment, the Internet was born.

These days, predictions about the future of the Internet run the gamut. Experts and laypeople alike have predicted everything from the exponential advancement of artificially intelligent machines that will soon take over most jobs, to the full integration of the “Internet of Things,” which will allow us to connect basically any and all devices to the internet—putting every aspect of our lives online. There are positive predictions—like the complete digitization of medical records, with the ability for hospitals and doctors to share and transfer patient histories instantly, which could make health care safer for patients and easier for medical professionals; as well as negative predictions—like the complete erosion of privacy, where we might find ourselves living in a “Minority Report”-style future.

Join the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia for an in-depth discussion with a panel of experts on what the future may hold for the Internet, and for is all.