Tim Berners-Lee Sounds Alarm on AI Reshaping the Web—What It Means for the Internet’s Future

World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has stepped back into the spotlight with a dual message: protect personal data and reclaim the original openness of the internet. Speaking ahead of his autumn 2025 book tour for “This Is for Everyone,” Berners-Lee warned that the web’s founding principles are under threat from profit-driven algorithms and unchecked AI models, calling the current moment “a make-or-break year for digital human rights.” In interviews promoting the memoir, the British computer scientist doubled down on his Solid project, an open-source platform that lets users store data in personal “pods” and grant granular permissions to apps. “We have the tools to flip the power dynamic,” he said, arguing that Solid can stop social networks and generative-AI companies from “strip-mining” user information. Industry analysts view Solid’s partnership with several European health-tech and fintech firms as proof the idea is maturing beyond the lab stage. Berners-Lee’s comments arrive as lawmakers in Brussels debate an updated Digital Services Act that could force platforms to offer interoperability and data-portability by 2026. He praised the proposed rules but cautioned that regulation alone is not enough. “Technology must embed human rights by design; regulation should be the safety net, not the main architecture,” he told audiences at a packed Intelligence Squared event in London earlier this month. The new book revisits the early days of CERN, where Berners-Lee wrote the seminal 1989 proposal that became the web, while offering a manifesto for an AI-driven future. Early reviewers at the Financial Times highlight his critique of “rage-bait algorithms” and his call for ethical AI standards that treat data as “digital DNA,” deserving of the same protections as personal health information. Tech companies are already responding. Two major browser vendors confirmed they are experimenting with Solid-compatible identity wallets, and a coalition of universities announced a pilot program that will give students full ownership of their academic records via Solid pods. Looking ahead, Berners-Lee expects 2026 to mark a tipping point, predicting that at least 20 percent of global web traffic will flow through decentralized data stores. While he remains optimistic, he urged citizens to stay vigilant: “The web doesn’t belong to Silicon Valley or Brussels—it belongs to all of us. But only if we decide to fight for it.” Key takeaways for readers: • Tim Berners-Lee’s new memoir “This Is for Everyone” launches worldwide this fall. • Solid project gains momentum with healthcare and fintech pilots, aiming to give users data sovereignty. • EU’s pending Digital Services Act could accelerate decentralization and interoperability. • Berners-Lee urges ethical AI standards and warns against algorithmic “rage-bait.” As discourse around AI safety, privacy, and digital rights intensifies, Berners-Lee’s renewed activism ensures that the inventor of the World Wide Web remains one of its most influential guardians.