Book Review.
This is for Everyone. The invention of the World Wide Web.
by
Tim Berners-Lee (with Stephen Witt).
Tim’s book is a seriously important account of how he achieved his passion of making the World Wide Web for everyone. The story is a powerful account of how computer scientists and experts in information technology can change the life of everyone, everywhere.
Everyone should read this book, not just scientists and engineers. There will be technical bits that only computer programmers will understand, but the underlying story will affect everyone, everywhere.
The first two thirds of the book is positive about everything relating to the WWW and it is only until near the end that Tim raises concerns about the formidable ability of AI machine learning. I am left with the impression that extremely clever people, backed by International Companies are seeking unchecked world technology dominance, with Tim Berners Lee as a sole exception.
I find it difficult to fully articulate my views on AI as my own skill set on AI is incomplete. The best I can do is to describe two analogies and hope the reader understands my thinking.
Analogy 1.
The onset of World War 2 (1939-1945) resulted in the rapid development of atomic and nuclear technology. Firstly, physicists provided theoretical insight, then the engineers constructed an atomic bomb and finally, US politicians and the military brought an end to the war by ordering the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. Since then further scientific and technology understanding has provided a route to nuclear power generation and government controlled nuclear deterrents. In terms of energy there have been nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima and so far, no one has pressed the nuclear deterrent button; however, the world lives in the shadow of a nuclear apocalypse.
Analogy 2.
In the 2010s, The Harbour Master at Salcombe in Devon told me that he had created a ‘Monster’. The monster was a floating pontoon where seasonal holiday makers could moor their outboard boats or ribs away from a congested shore landing area. He did this in the knowledge that some people would be against his plan and it could end up being unmanageable. My point is that he knew there would be a downside to his plan. Ten years has now passed and all his initial concerns have been allayed, although in the summer months he created a visual monster in a beautiful Devon estuary.
Having read Tim’s book, I am now even more concerned about the global effect of AI on the world. At present, I see no global or government consensus controlling the power of AI. All I currently see is a group of companies seeking global dominance in an uncontrolled area of technology that is emerging at an astonishingly fast pace from a complex cocktail of skills that will affect everyone, everywhere.
Malcolm Mackley 30.11.2025
