The Future Of The Internet? It'll Disappear Says Google Boss

Google boss Eric Schmidt shocked attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently by responding to a question on the future of the internet by saying: “I will answer very simply that the internet will disappear.”

Schmidt claims, due to augmented reality and interconnected smart device, integration in the home and workplace will be everywhere, essentially removing the term ‘internet’ from its usual place on laptops and mobile devices.

Making the internet more personalised to one specific user will also change the terminology of the internet, according to Schmidt.

The interactivity between the user and the internet will inherently change over the next 10 years. For example, users might soon be able to order food online through their fridge, rather than a computer.

Schmidt did say this would all be controlled by the end user, something Google has been harping on ever since it started getting hit with privacy and security questions.

The talk also included questions on technology removing jobs in several areas, but Schmidt does not believe new technology and AI will create a jobless world.

“What happens to the job that is lost? It’s the same thing that happened when people stopped farming and started using tractors.

“They find new skills and services. So while there is an enormous assumption that this time it’s different, that somehow no-one is going to have a job in the world – and it’s just going to be the Davos elite who is going to have a good time and everyone else is going to be rioting – [that] is completely false.”

Schmidt has been invested in the idea of an interconnected world, similar to Google’s CEO Larry Page who shares this vision.

The search giant acquired Nest Labs for $3.2 billion (£2.13 billion) to front this vision for the smart home, investing in Dropcam and other smart home companies later in 2014.