Shared Commitments in a Blended Reality: Advancing Governance in the Future Internet

The report argues that the convergence of technologies like XR, AI, and blockchain is creating a 'blended reality' that requires more cohesive governance than the current fragmented internet landscape. It proposes eight guiding commitments—human rights, accountability, collaborative safety, asset ownership, responsible data practices, education and research, accessibility, and sustainability—to ensure the future internet is safe, inclusive, and equitable.

• The 'blended reality' or 'metaverse' is an immersive integration of digital and physical realities driven by the convergence of extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledger technology (DLT), 6G, internet of things (IoT), robotics, and digital twins.
• Current internet governance is characterized by fragmentation across jurisdictions, which leads to conflicting standards, regulatory gaps, and barriers to equitable access.
• A significant digital divide persists, with approximately 2.6 billion people (roughly one-third of the global population) remaining offline, meaning the internet's physical reach is only 66% globally.
• The report identifies eight core commitments for future governance: human rights, accountability, collaborative safety, ownership of physical and digital assets, responsible data practices, education and research, accessibility, and social, economic and environmental sustainability.
• Accountability in the future internet requires clear frameworks for roles and responsibilities, effective pathways for recourse and redress, and suitable identity access management.
• Collaborative safety should prioritize 'human-first design,' where the burden of safety and security does not fall solely on the user, and include both content/conduct moderation and 'spatial moderation' for XR experiences.
• Ownership in blended reality must address the provenance and authenticity of assets, utilizing technologies like distributed ledger technology to create a chain of custody for digital and physical interactions.
• Responsible data practices must include 'RUTDE' (Review, Update, Transfer, Deletion, and Erasure) capabilities, allowing individuals to manage their digital footprints through structured processes.
• Accessibility commitments focus on bridging the digital divide through infrastructure investment and achieving 'interoperability' across technical, use, and jurisdictional dimensions.
• Sustainability in the future internet encompasses environmental costs (such as AI model training and data center energy), social cohesion (avoiding AI bias), and economic resilience (supporting start-ups and fair-trade).

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Shared Commitments in a Blended Reality: Advancing Governance in the Future Internet. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Commitments_in_a_Blended_Reality_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Shared Commitments in a Blended Reality: Advancing Governance in the Future Internet. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Commitments_in_a_Blended_Reality_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Shared Commitments in a Blended Reality: Advancing Governance in the Future Internet |date=November 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Commitments_in_a_Blended_Reality_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024shared, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Shared Commitments in a Blended Reality: Advancing Governance in the Future Internet}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Commitments_in_a_Blended_Reality_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }