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Sir Tim Berners-Lee on the Internet, AI and the Future of Humanity

Science &
Technology

The power of technology — both to fuel our worst instincts and to profoundly shape our lives for the better

The most influential inventor of the modern world, Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a different kind of visionary. Born in the same year as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Berners-Lee famously shared his invention, the World Wide Web, for no commercial reward. Its widespread adoption changed everything — transforming humanity into the first digital species.

In September 2025 Berners-Lee came to the Intelligence Squared stage to tell the story of his iconic invention and explore the future of human innovation. Drawing on his new memoir, This is For Everyone, Berners-Lee explored how the web launched a new era of creativity and collaboration, while unleashing a commercial race that today imperils democracies and polarises public debate.

As the rapid development of artificial intelligence heralds a new era of innovation, Berners-Lee is the perfect guide to the crucial decisions ahead, and to provide a gripping, in-the-room account of the rise of the online world.

With his characteristic optimism, technical insight and wry humour, Berners-Lee discussed the power of technology — both to fuel our worst instincts and to profoundly shape our lives for the better.

Speakers for the motion

  • Sir Tim Berners-Lee

    Inventor of the World Wide Web

Chair

  • Tania Bryer OBE

    Broadcaster

Speakers are subject to change.

Speakers

Speaker

Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Inventor of the World Wide Web

Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 at CERN in Switzerland. Since then, through his work with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), The Open Data Institute, the World Wide Web Foundation, the development of the Solid Protocol and now as CTO and Co-Founder of Inrupt, he has been a tireless advocate for shared standards, open web access for all and the power of individuals on the web. A firm believer in the positive power of technology, he was named in Time magazine’s list of the most important people of the 20th century. He has been the recipient of several honorary degrees and awards, including the Seoul Peace Prize and the Turing Prize widely recognised as akin to the Nobel Prize for Computing. He was knighted in 2004 and later appointed to the Order of Merit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Chair

Tania Bryer OBE

Broadcaster

International broadcaster, host and Executive Producer of the critically acclaimed series CNBC Meets. She has interviewed President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, President Jimmy Carter, and Matt Damon, among many others.