During a recent discussion, Eric Schmidt – Google’s chairman, as well as its former CEO – has stated that the World Wide Web as we know it will soon become a thing of the past.
While taking part in a panel in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum, the search giant’s boss was asked about the future of the Internet. He replied:
“I will answer very simply that the Internet will disappear.”
However, rather than falling out of existence altogether, Schmidt maintained that due to ongoing online integration that is happening all over the world, very soon the idea of a separate entity known as the ‘Internet’ will become unrecognised.
Instead of being housed on laptops and PC browsers, as well as smartphones and tablets, Schmidt believes that the web will be accessible through a range of devices, big and small. The Google chairman stated that he expected that online integration will very soon become indistinguishable from everyday life.
He added:
“It will be part of your presence all the time. Imagine you walk into a room, and the room is dynamic. And with your permission and all of that, you are interacting with the things going on in the room.”
However, it appears that the days of news feeds and searches are far from over; rather, augmented devices will allow for internet access to be more seamless. For example, users may be able to order food through their fridge, rather than having to go online.
To facilitate such changes, Google has made a number of recent acquisitions and investments in smart home companies, including Nest Labs.
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