The original idea for the world wide web emerged in a flurry of scientific thought around the end of World War II. The laws of linksModern search engines were developed in the shadow of the memex, but at first they faced unexpected legal issues. It was also not clear whether, in linking to information that might help someone build a bomb, defraud someone, or carry out some other nefarious activity, search engines or website hosts were “publishers”. The provision of links, eyeballs and credit, though, is falling as AI does not link to its sources. There are good people-centred reasons for social media companies and search engines to want you to not have to leave.

Source: The Nation November 18, 2024 07:33 UTC