Internet Society (ISOC), una organización internacional sin fines de lucro dedicada a asegurar el desarrollo, la evolución y el uso abierto de Internet, publicó hoy el primer informe de su tipo destinado a explorar el futuro de Internet. Titulado «Paths to our Digital Future» (Caminos hacia nuestro futuro digital), el Informe global de Internet 2017 examina Internet durante los próximos cinco a siete años e identifica los factores que forjarán su futuro. El informe descubre una combinación de retos y oportunidades para salvaguardar Internet para la siguiente generación y hace recomendaciones sobre los pasos que se pueden dar hoy en día para hacer realidad la promesa de un Internet para todos, en todo lugar.
The 2017 Global Internet Report considers the many forces that are shaping the Internet, from artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber threats, Internet standards and the Internet of Things (IoT), to the Internet economy and the growing involvement of government. It explores how these forces will impact key areas such as digital divides, personal freedoms and rights, as well as media and society. Put together, these forces will change the internet in dramatic ways in the years to come.
Some of the key findings contained in this report:
- La inteligencia artificial e Internet de las cosas nos cambian la vida, pero podrían dar lugar a una «sociedad de vigilancia»
La inteligencia artificial e Internet de las cosas tienen un enorme potencial para simplificar y mejorar la vida de la gente, pero solamente si las consideraciones éticas dirigen el desarrollo de la tecnología y guían su uso. Debido a que la inteligencia artificial e Internet de las cosas permiten recopilar grandes cantidades de información personal, existe el riesgo de que, sin salvaguardas y control del usuario, pueda emerger una «sociedad de vigilancia».
- Growing security concerns could undermine personal freedom and rights
Cybersecurity issues will put pressure on governments to make decisions that could undermine global, open and distributed internet governance. Measures aimed at securing cyberspace may undermine personal rights and freedoms. Without a change of course, online freedoms may be approaching a point of irreversible decline.
- Optimism still reigns
Younger users and those in developing countries are particularly optimistic about the future of the Internet and the possibility of using technology to improve their lives and create their future.
- The nature of the digital divide will change
As the internet transforms every sector of the global economy, the digital divides of the future will not only be about access to the internet, but also about the difference in economic opportunities that will be available to some, but not to others. The link between security and economic prosperity will grow and lead to a potential security divide, separating people or countries that can protect their digital assets from those that cannot.
The report notes that the implementation of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence will transform entire economies and societies in the coming years through automation and the convergence of the physical and virtual worlds. This transformation will change the nature of the digital divide as historically defined (i.e. the divide that exists between those who have access to the internet and those who do not).
While many in the Internet Society's global community agreed that the Internet is facing a period of unprecedented change, they also reaffirmed the core ideas that have shaped the Internet to date.
«Nuestra amplia investigación muestra claramente que, tal como sucedía hace 25 años cuando se fundó Internet Society, la gente cree que los valores centrales de Internet aún siguen vigentes: que debe ser global, abierto y seguro, y se debe utilizar para el beneficio de la gente de todo el mundo», dijo Sally Wentworth, vicepresidente de Política Global para Internet Society.
Many of the views expressed in the report illustrate the widespread belief in the potential of the internet to continue to bring about positive change in people's lives. Respondents, especially youth in developing countries, pointed to the growth of new technologies and applications as evidence that the Internet continues to promote innovation, and the benefits that connectivity can bring for education, health, economic prosperity and social change.
However, these hopes and beliefs are countered by widespread fears that there are significant forces at work, which may undermine the promise of the internet for future generations. For example, many believe that internet freedom will continue to diminish around the world due to widespread surveillance, disruptions in its operation and content regulation. Some also believe that the media landscape will become more complex and that the separation of fact from fiction will become more difficult.
Some people are concerned about the threat of new gaps, which will not only deepen existing differences between countries, but also in society as a whole. In particular, the report explores the emergence of a new divide in trust and security, characterised by cyber threats that continue to multiply, and a widening gap between security-conscious users and those who lack the skills, knowledge and resources to protect themselves online.
«Descubrimos que las personas comparten en igual medida un sentimiento de optimismo y desilusión respecto al futuro de Internet. Aunque no hay garantías de lo que nos espera, sabemos que la humanidad debe estar en el centro del Internet del mañana. Internet debe continuar beneficiando a la gente y creando nuevas posibilidades sociales y económicas para satisfacer el principio sobre el cual se creó. Deberíamos poner atención a las advertencias de este informe y empezar hoy mismo a tomar las medidas que nos ayudarán a mantener Internet funcionando para todos, en todas partes, en el futuro», agregó Wentworth.
The report provides key recommendations for businesses, advocacy organisations, governments and other stakeholders to help ensure that the future Internet remains user-centric and continues to work for the benefit of all.
Learn more about the Global Internet Report.
About the Internet Society:
Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to ensuring the development, evolution, and open use of the Internet. Through a global community of Chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a wide variety of groups to promote technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure, and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organisational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
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