Web 3.0 Standards

From smartphones forming seamless connections with Bluetooth-enabled gadgets, to shipping containers that can seamlessly transfer from trucks to trains to ships, to plugs for electrical devices that fit into any socket–these are the conveniences we often overlook, all made possible by the silent architects of progress: technical standards.

Historically, there have been two broad categories of standards: technical standards and social standards. 

Social Standards address social issues, for example the need for  transparency, explainability, accountability, fairness, security, safety, human-centered values, and fairness 

Technical Standards address technical issues, the need for consistency and reliability by providing guidelines, conditions, and characteristics for making products or following processes.

With the rise of AI and its growing impact on various aspects of our lives, including privacy, infrastructure, cultural norms, and the economy, there is a clear requirement for a new type of standard: socio-technical standards. 

Designed to bridge the gap between technical and social domains, these standards ensure that emerging technologies are not only technically sound but also socially beneficial and aligned with societal norms and values. 

The role of the Spatial Web Foundation

As we leave behind the Information Age and enter the Intelligence Age, we will transition from a 2D text-based internet to a 3D Spatial Web. The SWF was created to shepherd the implementation of socio-technical standards that will provide a robust foundation for Web 3.0, while also accommodating the exponential progress of technology.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

In April 2016, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)—the world’s largest technical professional organization with more than 421,000 global members involved in all technical areas pertaining to computer science, electronics, and electrical engineering—launched the Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems.

Later that year, the IEEE P7000 series was initiated to address the ethical, legal, and social concerns that arise from the development and deployment of AI and autonomous technologies. The goal was to provide a framework for developers, manufacturers, and regulators to ensure that AI technologies are ethically designed, implemented, and governed.

In 2020, the Spatial Web Foundation partnered with the IEEE to lead the development of state-of-the-art socio-technical standards and protocols. The goal of these standards is to define the standardization and guidelines for the implementation of AI and Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS)  in alignment with the IEEE P7000 guidelines. The IEEE has declared this effort a “public imperative.”

The Spatial Web Foundation presented the first draft specifications at the launch of The Spatial Web Protocol, Architecture and Governance Working Group (IEEE P2874 Standard) on July 21st, 2021. This group consists of members from academia, government, and various industries. The launch of this working group marks the public commitment toward the development of a 21st-century “cyber-physical” Spatial Web.