The Internet and the World Wide Web remain the biggest decentralised communication system humanity has ever seen. This was a key part of the design: the inventors of the Web envisioned all people being able to create and access information.

But the benefits of a decentralised Internet are eroding. When we concentrate our online activity on just a few social networks and messaging apps-as billions of us do-it narrows our experience of the Web to one where we are pointed only at content that appeals to our likes in search results and social media streams. Here, we are consumers rather than creators.

The Internet remains decentralised, but the things we do on it every day are controlled by just a handful of global technology giants. These companies are starting to look more and more like monopolies of the past. Given the importance of the Internet in our lives, this is not healthy.

The decentralised Web is thriving by some measures, but we are heading towards a future of vertically integrated silos controlled by a few large players.

For a healthier Internet, we need to find ways to reinforce decentralisation. We need healthy competition for entrepreneurs to thrive and for users to have meaningful choices. But competition policies and legal structures of yesterday are ill-equipped to handle all of the dynamics of today. Some of the more effective solutions may be technical.

Decentralisation is key to ensuring that the Internet remains a public resource that is healthy and available to all of us-and that it is not controlled by a tiny handful of governments and companies. If we can do this, there is a good likelihood that the Internet will remain a force for human freedom and creativity. If not, the future will likely be more dystopian.

                                                                                The intelligence race

Many are thrilled with AI's breakthroughs and its potential for the future. The idea of AI dates back at least 2,700 years. Our ability to imagine artificial intelligence goes back to ancient times. Long before technological advances made self-moving devices possible, ideas about creating artificial life and robots were explored in ancient myths.

Now, AI is used for various everyday implementations, including facial recognition software, online shopping algorithms, automated safety functions on cars, cybersecurity, airport body scanning security and fighting disinformation on social media.

Still, many fear that AI poses dangerous privacy risks besides other risks.

For all the controversies surrounding artificial intelligence, there is a consensus that AI will likely be the most disruptive technology of the 21st century. Whether it renders human intelligence and work redundant or empowers humans to address intractable problems remains to be seen. However, the nation that controls the future of AI is likely to amass unrivalled economic and military power, at least until the day that some future AI slips the leash and seizes control.

We must not forget, however, that AI fundamentally owes its existence to human and natural intelligence.

Current AI systems excel at pattern recognition and generating new content based on existing data, but they do not possess true creativity or the ability to think outside the box.

Human wisdom and creative thinking are still needed and must remain highly valued.

AI is intelligence demonstrated by machines, whereas human and natural intelligence encompass a variety of cognitive skills, including reasoning, problem-solving, learning, understanding and adapting to new situations or environments.

The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.

                                                                                The post-AI future

Once Malta is at the forefront of digital research and innovation, with outstanding breakthroughs in AI, blockchain, and other related technologies, it has the potential to be equally at the forefront in harnessing and exploiting the next big digital evolutions after AI, which today, unfortunately, hardly hit the headlines.

Several technologies are poised to be the next major advancements. These include quantum computing, which could revolutionise computation and potentially accelerate AI development. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), aiming for human-level cognitive abilities in machines, is also a significant area of focus. Additionally, Extended Reality (XR), encompassing virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, is expected to create immersive and interactive experiences, transforming various sectors.

The countries and firms that develop quantum computing stand to gain a significant advantage in an array of lucrative industries. Four industries most likely to see early economic impact from quantum computing are car production, chemicals, financial services, and life sciences.

The government that will hold the first truly useful quantum computer will have a power at its fingertips that is breathtaking.

If successful, quantum computing may unleash unlimited potential to advance medical research that can improve health care, create unprecedented efficiencies in supply chains, and enhance currently untapped system performances. This is one area where Malta's university and MCAST can excel with a proper and abundant research fund.

Simply put, quantum computers may be able to solve problems that classical computers are unable to tackle in a reasonable amount of time.

Needless to say, the potential rewards and risks are even greater than those of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Mark Said is a lawyer