The History of the Semantic Web is the Future of Intelligent Assistants

The Semantic Web provides an enticing vision of our online future. This next-generation Web will enable intelligent computer assistants to work autonomously on our behalf: scheduling our appointments, doing our shopping, finding the information we need, and connecting us with like-minded individuals.

Unfortunately, the Semantic Web is also a vision that, to some, seems very distant, perhaps even outdated. It has been over a decade since it was popularized in a May 2001 article in Scientific American. Semantic Web researchers and engineers have been toiling even longer on the monumental technical and sociological challenges inherent in creating a global Semantic Web.

The good news is that we are seeing evidence today of its accelerating emergence. Although still far from its grand vision, there are available today small “local” versions of semantic webs and intelligent assistants. Consumers can begin using these intelligent assistants today; producers can begin incorporating this next-generation semantic data into their current business models and applications.

Paradoxically, the path to a global solution may evolve not only through the cooperation of a community, but through the selective forces of competition. As proprietary semantic networks and software agents vie for mass market dominance, winning technical and business models will emerge through a tapestry of data providers and services.