As 2025 enters its second half, the global internet industry stands at a critical juncture of technological convergence and societal change. Driven by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, Web 3.0, and quantum computing, internet development is accelerating.
AI technology has entered the "pan-intelligence" application stage
- Continuous breakthroughs in multimodal large models
New-generation models such as GPT-5 have increased text understanding accuracy to 92% (an 11% increase from 2024), and video generation has broken the 5-minute coherence barrier. AI-generated content already accounts for 35% of total internet traffic, spawning a new digital content industry.
- Explosive growth of edge smart devices
Global AIoT device shipments are expected to reach 8.2 billion units, with the autonomous decision-making rate of smart home devices increasing to 60%. Neuromorphic chips reduce terminal device power consumption by 40%, driving the penetration of AI applications in scenarios such as medical testing and agricultural monitoring.
The next-generation internet architecture is rapidly taking shape
- Key breakthroughs in Web 3.0
Decentralized identity (DID) users have exceeded 1 billion, and distributed storage costs have dropped to one-third of traditional cloud storage. The EU's digital euro has officially launched, driving the global share of central bank digital currencies in cross-border payments to 15%.
- Progress in the Quantum Internet
China, the US, and Europe completed their first intercontinental quantum key distribution experiment, expanding pilot programs for quantum encrypted communications in the financial and government sectors. Quantum cloud computing platforms have begun offering 1,000-qubit services, increasing drug development efficiency by eightfold.
The Human-Computer Interaction Revolution Continues to Deepen
- Commercialization of Brain-Computer Interfaces
Non-invasive head-mounted devices have achieved 85% recognition accuracy, and the market size in the medical rehabilitation field has exceeded $5 billion. Meta's new AR glasses achieve millisecond-level eye tracking, driving the adoption of metaverse-based office work to 27%.
- Scaled-Up Digital Twin Cities
Over 100 cities worldwide have completed CIM platform construction, increasing traffic dispatch efficiency by 40%. Digital twin factories have reduced manufacturing product defects by 35% and achieved 90% accuracy in predictive maintenance.
Industry Transformations and Challenges
- Gradual Improvement of Regulatory Frameworks
83 countries worldwide have introduced AI governance laws, making data sovereignty a key focus of international negotiations. Deepfake detection technology has a 95% identification rate, but losses from new cybercrime are still projected to reach $1.2 trillion.
- The digital divide continues to widen.
5G coverage in developed countries has reached 92% of the population, while in the least developed countries it's only 31%. The global digital skills gap has widened to 85 million people, and the retraining market is worth $400 billion.
Conclusion:
Internet development in the second half of 2025 will be characterized by both "deep technological integration" and "spillover effects on society." While reaping the benefits of technology, the industry needs to establish a globally coordinated governance framework to promote the development of technology for good.