As AI races towards an agent-driven future, one legendary systems engineer says it reminds us of another technological revolution we know all too well: the birth of the Internet.
Vinton Cerf, now 83 and credited with inventing the networking protocols that underpin the modern web, has important guidance for the AI boom.
During a panel discussion with computer scientist and Databricks co-founder Matej Zaharia at the Open Frontiers conference this week, Cerf highlighted several principles that could help determine whether AI can reach its full potential.
Open standards are more important than closed systems
Cerf said the Internet has become ubiquitous only because no single company owns it, and everyone can use it.
“In the case of the Internet, it worked because we intended it to be distributed from the beginning,” Cerf said. “So we left the rules very open. We just said if you find someone to connect to and follow the rules of the protocol, it should work.”
Having a common protocol means California’s university networks, government research institutions, and commercial Internet service providers can all connect using the same technical language.
Cerf said AI is approaching the same tipping point where the number of AI agents will require “interoperability and standardization.”
AI agents will need better ways to communicate
While you can speak to AI agents in your native language, those languages aren’t ideal for agents to work together effectively.
Cerf said natural language alone may not be enough to ensure agents work together or to create interfaces that allow developers to innovate without disrupting the entire system.
“I don’t think English will be the best choice,” Cerf said. “I think there will be ambiguity and the accuracy of interactions between agents will be very important.”
Human language often relies on context, inference, and multiple meanings of the same word. Cerf said AI agents will need a way to communicate that minimizes ambiguity to ensure each system can interpret requests and commitments.
“Agents really need to make sure that the other agent understands what it means that they have agreed to work together,” Cerf added.
The biggest technology becomes the platform
Just like the internet, Cerf said innovative technology should not be a standalone product, but a foundation upon which other products can be built.
“A lot of the success comes from enabling technology, whether it’s platforms or other foundational pieces that others can build on,” Cerf said.
Google, Amazon, Netflix, and millions of small developers built their services on the same underlying Internet infrastructure. Cerf said the same principle applies to AI.
“So if you really want influence, think about empowering other people to do what you want to do,” Cerf added.