The Web is Dead..Again, Long Live the Web: John Samuel

The web landscape is undergoing rapid change. Our behavior on the web has evolved over the years. From web directories to web search engines, the way we navigate and search for information on the internet has transformed. The rise of social media and content within closed ecosystems has fragmented the web further. This evolution has also aided in distinguishing between public and private information. However, another revolution is on the horizon with the advent of Generative AI models.

Large language models and image (or media) generation models are now capable of producing content at an exponentially increasing rate. This has given rise to a new user behavior pattern. Personalized content generation in response to user search queries means that users may no longer need to visit external websites. This shift raises important questions for website owners, blog writers, and the future of the web. What implications does this have for them, and how will it shape the web's future?

Changes.. and more changes

Looking back at the last three decades, we can clearly observe the web's evolution, and this evolution is closely intertwined with the development of search engines. The decentralized nature of the web allows individuals from anywhere to create content. However, the challenge lies in making this content discoverable. Without external websites linking to them, newly created websites may remain hidden. Throughout these years, search engines have played a pivotal role in indexing a vast array of web content and assisting users in finding new information online.

In the early days, certain websites maintained directories organized into different categories, enabling users to discover websites by navigating through their preferred categories. With the increasing number of organizations establishing an online presence on the web, matters grew more complex. Search engines assumed a crucial role in assisting users in discovering relevant websites from among the thousands, or even millions, available. Users could enter search queries on these engines using keywords. Instead of presenting a list of ten search results with the now-familiar blue-green links, we now directly pose our questions to the web. For instance, consider checking the weather forecast. We simply type the 'city name temperature,' and the results display the weather forecast on the same web page. This has undoubtedly simplified our lives but has also transformed our information consumption habits on the web.

Another significant change we are observing is the capability to converse directly with search engines using complete phrases, eliminating the need for keyword-based search combinations. For instance, we can simply ask, "What's the temperature in Lyon?" The emergence of AI is set to make our lives even simpler, allowing us to engage in conversations with search engines. In this scenario, search engines can guide us to the answers we seek without the requirement of leaving the website. This marks a substantial evolution in how we interact with and obtain information from the web.

Challenges

My primary concern lies with the web, the very web that holds a special place in my heart. I reminisce about the vision of a decentralized web, where individuals could freely express their opinions, cite others' work through interconnected links, and create a vast, open network of information. Regrettably, that vision has faded into obscurity, replaced by walled gardens that restrict easy access to information, often demanding user accounts.

Over the years, we've gained a deeper understanding of the intricacies of open data access. People are increasingly recognizing the significance of privacy and are advocating for tools to manage their private information. It's evident that not all data is meant for public consumption, and rightfully so. However, certain information, especially concerning public safety, health, and official announcements, should remain accessible to all, free from the confines of walled gardens. This evolution of the web raises important questions about the balance between privacy and the public's right to critical information.

The advancement of AI models presents a growing challenge for the general public's access to information. Companies are increasingly erecting barriers by attaching price tags to API access. This shift is often a response to data being scraped without their consent, with the financial benefits largely eluding the companies that own the data.

Additionally, some AI models fail to suggest the information source, resulting in a loss of traffic and income for content creators and website owners. This situation is particularly concerning when compared to social networking services, which traditionally allowed users to easily share links. The contrast between these two scenarios underscores the gravity of the issue, as access to valuable information becomes more restricted in an evolving digital landscape. Balancing data privacy concerns with fair access to information remains an ongoing challenge.

Many individuals and organizations invest significant time and effort in creating content for their blogs and websites. However, in these AI-driven conversations, these sources often go unnoticed [1,2]. It's important to note that these AI models can provide references when explicitly asked. However, there's a caveat; they may occasionally generate references that are either hallucinated or imaginary. This highlights a challenge in relying solely on AI-generated content, as it may lack the depth and authenticity that human-authored sources bring to the table. Balancing the convenience of AI-generated responses with the need for credible and verifiable sources remains a critical consideration in the evolving landscape of web interactions.

Indeed, we now find ourselves in the era of AI engine optimization [3,4], an additional layer of complexity alongside traditional search engine optimization. Website owners are now tasked with optimizing their content to ensure its visibility within AI model responses. While search engine optimization (SEO) focused on getting your website to appear on the first page of search engine results for specific user-typed phrases and keywords, AI engine optimization is about ensuring that a company's products or content are featured in suggested answers generated by AI models.

Indeed, this transformation in how we access and interact with web content may lead to a scenario where users no longer have to leave the AI model's website. Clicking on links and verifying the information source might become less common. However, this shift also raises concerns about the potential loss of the reader's ability to explore the creativity and unique perspectives of authors who have invested time and effort [1] in enhancing their content's interface for their audience. The choice of images, colors, text placement, the structure of different sections and subsections, as well as the original arguments and reasoning presented in a blog post, are all essential elements that contribute to the richness of the reader's experience.

Long Live the Web

Is the web dying [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13], or is it undergoing yet another transformation? The web has undoubtedly undergone significant evolution over the past three decades. From the challenges of IPv4 address scarcity [6] to the rise of social media and the proliferation of mobile applications [7,8,10], the web has continuously adapted and evolved to meet changing demands and technologies. It's a dynamic landscape that has seen multiple shifts, and its vitality remains a topic of ongoing discussion and exploration.

Indeed, the web endures, demonstrating its resilience over time. The manner in which we engage with the web has undeniably evolved. The transition to IPv6 has expanded the web's address space, ensuring its continued growth. People and organizations persist in maintaining blogs and websites, contributing to the web's vitality. Notably, with the advent of mobile applications, there has been a shift from a focus on HTML to APIs, reflecting the changing landscape of how we access and interact with web-based content.

Absolutely, the web isn't going anywhere. But what precisely is the web? It's much more than just a collection of HTML pages linking to each other. At its core, it remains the fundamental platform for the exchange of information [14]. Its foundation rests on the principles of decentralization, interoperability, and the sharing of commons. We do observe numerous attempts and approaches by various stakeholders in maintaining this vision of the web. Firstly, we still have a diverse array of autonomous sources of information on the web (including website owners, bloggers), sharing content in various forms, including text, images, audio, and video. Secondly, there's a growing number of standards [15] aimed at making information accessible for all and across different platforms, whether it's on desktop computers, mobile phones, or even VR headsets. And finally, let's not forget that AI models are trained using the vast wealth of material available on the web. Importantly, much of this content is being shared with explicit open licenses, emphasizing the collaborative and open nature of the web. In essence, the web continues to evolve and thrive, guided by these core principles, making it a dynamic and enduring platform for the exchange of information and ideas.

Will AI models eventually replace the web as we know it [16]? No, it's important to recognize that a change in the interface of interaction doesn't equate to the demise of the web. Instead, we'll witness the emergence of diverse ways to access and engage with it. Web pages, as we traditionally know them, represent just one facet, essentially a textual interface. We're already experiencing personal assistants that communicate with us using web content, and we can anticipate the integration of mixed reality interfaces. These interfaces will enable us to interact with the web and potentially blend it seamlessly with our real-world surroundings, including imaginative virtual realms. The web's evolution will continue, offering us a spectrum of interaction possibilities. This may necessitate our reflection on how to incorporate the authors' vision when narrating an event or a story, while considering both traditional and contemporary modes of expression and interaction on the web.

The web indeed requires a continuous influx of new content, and this content will not solely originate from humans or sensors but also from AI models. The vision of web 3.0, which aims to make the web both machine and human-readable, is gradually becoming a reality. While questions do arise about the disparities between human and machine comprehension of web content, it's undeniable that the new AI models are helping us make sense of the vast volumes of information [12] available on the web. These AI models are contributing to the synthesis and organization of data on a scale previously unimaginable. They assist in extracting valuable insights, patterns, and knowledge from the ever-expanding digital universe. As a result, they play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the web, bridging the gap between human understanding and the immense potential hidden within the web's wealth of information.

Long Live the Web!

The Web is Dead..Again, Long Live the Web

John Samuel

Changes.. and more changes

Challenges

Long Live the Web

References