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Tim Berners‑Lee says AI won’t destroy the web, despite Pichai’s comment

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• 3 min read

Tim Berners‑Lee has taken a measured stance on the hype surrounding generative AI, insisting the core architecture of the web remains intact. While some pundits warn that autonomous agents could rewrite how users interact with sites, the inventor of the World Wide Web argues the technology is an extension, not a replacement. His view contrasts with recent remarks from Google’s Sundar Pichai, who hinted that a leading AI researcher might be looking too far ahead.

The tension between a “web‑first” philosophy and the rise of agentic browsers fuels a broader debate about where the next wave of digital interaction will land. Readers who follow the conversation between these two tech veterans will find the exchange illuminating, especially when it turns to the practicalities of browsers that summarize content or trigger applications on a user’s behalf. Below, Berners‑Lee’s response to Pichai’s off‑hand comment lays out exactly how he envisions the web evolving—without being overtaken.

*I asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai about that comment. He said, "Well, maybe Demis was thinking too far ahead." I see that version of the web where agentic browsers are going off and using web services for you. They're summarizing information or maybe even using applications for you. And the web itself…*

I asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai about that comment. He said, "Well, maybe Demis was thinking too far ahead." I see that version of the web where agentic browsers are going off and using web services for you. They're summarizing information or maybe even using applications for you.

And the web itself changes because people are no longer using it, automated systems are using it. Just in the past week, I think three AI browsers were released: OpenAI has Atlas, Google announced some of these features in Chrome, there's one from Opera, and so on. Do you see that new browser war as a source of innovation and excitement, as somebody who created the first set of browsers?

Related Topics: #AI #generative AI #Tim Berners‑Lee #Sundar Pichai #World Wide Web #agentic browsers #OpenAI Atlas #Chrome #Opera #browser war

Will AI reshape the web? Tim Berners‑Lee, who created HTML and HTTP, says he does not believe artificial intelligence will destroy the web, and he remains cautiously optimistic about its future. He’s seen the web evolve.

In conversation with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the latter suggested that perhaps DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis was looking too ahead, hinting at a gap between current capabilities and speculative scenarios. Agentic browsers, he imagines. He envisions browsers that act on the user's behalf, pulling data from web services, summarizing content, and launching applications without direct user input, a vision that blurs the line between passive navigation and proactive assistance.

The web itself stays resilient. Whether such agentic behavior will become standard, how it will affect user control, and what safeguards might be needed remain unclear, leaving the community to monitor developments without assuming inevitable disruption. Can the web retain its openness?

Berners‑Lee’s optimism is tempered by the observation that any shift toward more autonomous browsing tools will require design to preserve the principles of interoperability and user agency that have defined the web since its inception.

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Common Questions Answered

What is Tim Berners‑Lee’s main argument about AI’s impact on the web?

He argues that AI is an extension rather than a replacement, and that the core architecture of the web—HTML and HTTP—remains intact despite hype around generative AI and autonomous agents.

How does Sundar Pichai’s comment about Demis Hassabis relate to the debate on AI‑driven browsers?

Pichai suggested that DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis might be “thinking too far ahead,” implying a gap between current AI capabilities and speculative scenarios like agentic browsers that could rewrite how users interact with web services.

Which AI‑powered browsers were mentioned as recently released, and who developed them?

The article notes three AI browsers launched in the past week, including OpenAI’s Atlas and a Google‑announced agentic browser, highlighting the rapid emergence of AI‑driven tools that can summarize information and act on web applications.

According to the article, why does Tim Berners‑Lee remain cautiously optimistic about the web’s future?

He believes the web has continuously evolved since the creation of HTML and HTTP, and while AI may change user interaction patterns, it will not destroy the underlying web infrastructure, allowing it to adapt and thrive.