Can We Still “Fix” the Future of the Internet?

Pubblished 2026

Reflecting on our role as architects of the network in the age of algorithms, polarization, and artificial intelligence.

At the latest RMNOG meeting, the conversation expanded far beyond the usual technical discussions surrounding routing protocols, peering optimization, and latency management. The community came together to engage in a profound and timely reflection on the civic and social responsibility held by modern network architects.

Drawing deep inspiration from Riccardo Luna’s powerful essay, Qualcosa è andato storto (“Something Went Wrong”), the discussion tackled an uncomfortable yet critical question: what happened to the early utopian vision of an Internet designed to break down walls and build bridges? Today, the rapid rise of black-box algorithms, echo chambers on social networks, and unguided AI have often morphed this democratic tool into an environment that fuels division and polarization.

For those of us who design, build, and maintain the physical and logical infrastructure of the web, the challenge ahead is clear: technology is never neutral. Network operators and tech communities hold both a massive technical duty and a vital civic responsibility to ensure that tomorrow’s web returns to being an open, ethical, and human-centric space. By revisiting network architecture through the lens of social impact, we can actively work to put human dignity back at the absolute center of digital innovation.

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