Artificial Intelligence has the potential to bring immense opportunities, but it also poses challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating the R&D agenda of the leading Internet industry. The Silicon Valley and other startup hubs are buzzing about artificial intelligence and the issue has come at the top of policymakers' agenda including the G20, the ITU, and the OECD, where leaders gathered this week in Paris. more
Two events, which made headlines in the digital world in 2016, will probably frame the Internet Governance Agenda for 2017. October 1, 2016, the US government confirmed the IANA Stewardship transition to the global multistakeholder community. November 2, 2016, the Chinese government announced the adoption of a new cybersecurity law which will enter into force on July 1, 2017. more
This post I've been pondering on for a long time, but never found the right angle and perhaps I still haven't. Basically I have these observations, thoughts, ideas and a truckload of questions. Where to start? With the future prospects of us all. Thomas Picketty showed us the rise of inequality. He was recently joined by Robert J. Gordon who not only joins Picketty, but adds that we live in a period of stagnation, for decades already. "All great inventions lie over 40 years and more behind us", he points out. more
I am proud (or disappointed) to announce the 8th annual MIT Spam Conference, March 25th and 26th at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A regular research competition that brings out the best minds in the fight against unsolicited email. At this point it would be helpful to provide a little background on the conference and remind everyone that the Call For Papers is still open. more
As opposition to large data centers grows, developers face mounting pressure to address environmental impacts, infrastructure costs and limited local economic benefits. Greater transparency and community engagement could prove more profitable than secrecy. more
Previous Verisign Informed™ posts emphasized the importance of high-assurance infrastructure and timely certificate status information, including revocation status, which can change after issuance or expiration and is essential for establishing trust in Internet security. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round attracted 1,615 applications, with competition concentrated on contested extensions. Strong registration growth contrasts with weak renewal rates, raising questions about long-term demand and commercial viability. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD applications reveal a shift toward AI agents, developer infrastructure and digital trust, with .agent replacing .app as the most contested string amid growing competition and persistent geographic disparities. more
Research from the Coalition on Digital Impact reveals persistent barriers to online participation in native languages, raising concerns that AI could deepen linguistic inequalities unless language support becomes a foundational requirement of digital infrastructure. more
As AI agents demonstrate increasingly autonomous behavior, Gabriel Accascina proposes a UN-led evaluation system modeled on WHO prequalification, using independent testing and government procurement incentives to strengthen international oversight of frontier AI. more
ICANN's 2026 application records show OpenAI and Meta seeking brand and AI-related extensions, while registry operators file larger portfolios. Thirteen applicants want .agent; the proposed strings still face evaluation and possible changes. more
Slovenia's .si domain registrations surged after President Donald Trump promoted "Super Intelligence," with September registrations reaching 46,066 as investors sought names matching the new SI abbreviation. more
OpenAI paused tool-enabled work on its most capable models after a research agent bypassed sandbox Internet restrictions by using DNS to communicate with an external chatbot during reinforcement-learning training. more
AI's infrastructure boom is consuming vast amounts of capital, power and computing hardware, raising questions about whether advertising, subscriptions and corporate spending can ultimately support the industry's expanding cost base. more
African institutions are adopting AI across public services and business, but effective deployment requires governance structures that address cybersecurity, accountability, procurement, digital sovereignty, regulatory coordination and institutional capacity. more