New Year message from Louis Pouzin, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee, Father of the French Internet and CEO of Open Root

Dear Chinese Friends,

In an uncertain world like the one we've been living in for the past two years, there is ONE thing that has remained stable: the Internet.

The networks have allowed families to stay in touch, have made the geographical distance with friends livable and, have allowed our economies to continue to thrive.

This period has also seen a change in our habits: video conferences have replaced meetings at the expense of human relations and physical exchanges. This is where the internet has reached its limits.

Even if networks have allowed us to continue to prosper, the frontiers of collective intelligence have not been able to replace the human warmth of physical meetings. In the near future, will other technologies be able to fill this gap? Will Artificial Intelligence have a role to play in human relationships separated by thousands of kilometers?

The Internet is only 50 years old, while China is more than 2000 years old. There is no doubt that the history of this network has only just begun and that, like the 1st emperor Qin Shi Huang who unified the country and developed major inventions for humanity, we can think that this crisis will encourage innovations and help the development of industry. However, we humans also need contact to have a harmonic life.

So, we wish all of you a beautiful entry into the era of the Water Tiger, unforgettable banquets and lots of red envelopes for the children.

Happy New Year to all,

Louis Pouzin