When we think crypto, NFT, and the metaverse have taken over the digital world, Web 3.0 is another emerging digital evolution that is unknown to many.
Imagine a new kind of Internet that not only interprets what you type but understands everything you transmit, whether in writing, voice, or other mediums, a place where all the content you use suits you never like before.
We are at the crossroads of a new phase in Web development. Some pioneers called it Web 3.0.
Arguably, some early Web 3.0 applications exist today. However, until the new Internet is fully integrated with the web infrastructure, its true potential will not be realized.
But what exactly is Web 3.0, what will it look like, and how will it change our lives? All of these will be discussed in this article.
What is WEB 3.0?
Web 3.0 is the next generation of the Internet, where websites and applications intelligently and humanely process information through machine learning (ML), big data, decentralized ledger technology (DLT), and more.
Web 3.0 was initially called the Semantic Web by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners Lee and aimed to become a more intelligent and open Internet.
The definition of Web 3.0 can be extended as follows: data will be interconnected in a decentralized way, a giant leap forward for our current generation of Internet (Web 2.0), where data is mainly stored in centralized repositories.
In addition, users and machines will interact with the data. But for this to happen, programs need to access and understand both conceptually and contextually. With this in mind, the two cornerstones of Web 3.0 are semantic Web and artificial intelligence (AI).
Web 3.0 to Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
The Web 3.0 network operates on a decentralized protocol (the basic block of Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies), so we can expect strong convergence and symbiotic relationships between these three technologies and other fields. These are integrated, and automated by smart contracts, from microtransactions in Africa, censorship-resistant P2P data file storage, and sharing with applications such as Filecoin to corporate behavior and operations business.
The evolution of Web 3.0 Technology
Web 3.0 is supposed to be an upgrade to its precursors: web 1.0 and 2.0, and it's proposed to be generated out of these natural evolutions of older-generation web tools combined with cutting-edge technologies like AI and Blockchain, as well as the interconnection between users and increasing internet usage.
Web 1.0, also known as the Static Web, was the first and most reliable Internet in the 1990s, even though it only offers partial information with little or no user interaction. Back in those days, creating user pages or even commenting on articles wasn't that possible.
However, Web 2.0, also known as the Social Web, made the Internet a lot more interactive, and that that's all thanks to improvements in the web technologies like JavaScript, HTML5, etc., which permitted startups to build interactive web platforms such as Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, etc.
This opened the opportunity for both social networks and user-generated content production to show off since information can now be disseminated and shared between diverse platforms and applications.
Web 3.0 is the next step in the evolution of the Web to make the Internet smarter and process information with human-like intelligence through the power of AI systems that can run innovative programs to assist users.
Tim Berners Lee stated that the Semantic Web needs to connect "automatically" to systems, people, and home devices. Both humans and machines will be involved in content creation and decision-making. This allows you to create highly customized content intelligently and deliver it directly to each Internet user.
What are the features of Web 3.0?
To understand Web 3.0, we need first to take a look at its four key features: • Ubiquity
• Semantic Web
• Artificial Intelligence
• 3D Graphics
Ubiquity
Ubiquity means being or able to be anywhere, especially simultaneously. In other words, it's Omni Present. Because of this, we can say Web 2.0 is already Omnipresent, looking at
the fact that Facebook users can take and share photos immediately, and anyone can access their social media platform wherever they are.
But, Web 3.0 goes one step further by giving anyone access to the Internet anytime, anywhere. At some point, devices connected to the Internet will lose focus on computers and smartphones like Web 2.0. This is because IoT (Internet of Things) technology creates many new smart devices.
Semantic Web
Semantic is the study of relationships between words. Therefore, according to Berners Lee, the Semantic Web allows computers to analyze vast amounts of data from the Web, such as content, transactions, and person-to-person connections.
Applying semantics to the Web allows machines to decode meanings and emotions by analyzing the data. As a result, Internet users can get a better experience enhanced by improved data connectivity.
Artificial Intelligence
According to Wikipedia, AI is machine-proven intelligence. Web 3.0 machines also create intelligent machines because they can read and decode the meanings and emotions conveyed by data.
Web 2.0 provides similar functionality, but it's still primarily human-based, with room for misbehavior such as biased product reviews and manipulated reviews.
But when AI is running, it seamlessly adapts to Internet 3.0, allowing blogs and other online platforms to sift data and tailor it to each user's tastes.
Ultimately, as AI advances, it will provide users with the most filtered and unbiased data possible.
3D Graphics
Some Futurists call Web 3.0 the Spatial Web. It aims to revolutionize graphics technology and blur the line between physics and digital by focusing on the three-dimensional (3D) virtual world.
Unlike 2D graphics, 3D graphics bring a new level of immersiveness to future gaming applications and other sectors such as real estate, healthcare, and e-commerce.
Applications of Web 3.0
A common requirement for Web 3.0 applications is processing large amounts of information and transforming it into factual knowledge and valuable content for the user. That said, these applications are still in their infancy. This means that there's a lot of room for improvement, and it's far from how a Web3.0 app works. Two examples of applications that use Web 3.0 technology are Siri and Wolfram Alpha.
Siri
Most people are familiar with Siri. It uses voice recognition and artificial intelligence to enable you to execute complex and personalized commands.
Today, other AI assistants such as Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Samsung's Bixby understand requests such as "Where is the nearest filling station or pizza joint?" or "Help book a meeting with the rest of the team by noon on Friday tomorrow." It will respond immediately with information and actions.
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that answers questions directly through computation, rather than providing a list of websites like a search engine does.
For instance, "Food" is the most popular search query; Google may display the nearest Food Vendor results without you even including "Food" as a keyword. On the other hand, Alpha provides a detailed comparison of the two words on demand. This is the main difference between Web 2.0 and 3.0.
Closing Thoughts
The new Internet 3.0 offers a more personal and customized browsing experience, a more innovative and humane search assistant, and other decentralized benefits that help create a fairer web. All of these can be achieved by allowing each user to take control of the data and create a richer overall experience. Thanks to the myriad of innovations that will take place after the release.
As Web 3.0 inevitably takes hold (which can be difficult considering how smart devices have already changed our behavior), the Internet will be dramatically integrated into our daily lives.
From home appliances such as ovens, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators to all kinds of transportation, almost all of today's typical offline machines will become part of the IoT economy and interact with its autonomous servers and decentralized applications (DApps)