The future of the internet and the threats it faces are the focus of a free, public lecture from Regius Professor of computer science, Dame Wendy Hall.

In The Geopolitics of The Internet and Its Implications for the Governance of AI , Professor Hall will explore what aspects of the governance of cyberspace must be protected in order to safeguard the technical infrastructure of the Internet that supports cloud and data services, and how this is playing out in the age of AI.

The event will take place at the University of Surrey on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 and is part of its Adams-Sweeting lecture series, which sees experts, innovators and scientists deliver fascinating talks on pioneering developments in their area of expertise.

Those successful in snapping up tickets for what is traditionally a sell-out event will hear about our dependency on the internet, which has never been under such threat, and its whole future as a globally interconnected system is in much doubt for many different reasons.

Dame Wendy Hall is associate vice president (international engagement) and is director of the web science institute at the University of Southampton. She was awarded a CBE in the 2009 UK New Year's Honours list and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the ACM.

Dame Wendy was co-chair of the UK governments AI Review, which was published in October 2017 and a member of the AI Council. She is an advisor to the UK government and many other governments and companies around the world and in 2023 was appointed to the United Nations high-level advisory body on artificial intelligence.

Alf Adams and professor Sir Martin Sweeting [Alf Adams and professor Sir Martin Sweeting]
Professor Alf Adams and Professor Sir Martin Sweeting

The university says now is the moment for a clear-eyed discussion. Our dependence on the internet has never been greater, yet the networks openness, interoperability and reliability face mounting pressures.

As countries pursue different rules on data, content and technology standards, the governance of AI cannot be separated from the networks that supply its data and deliver its outputs.

Dame Wendy will map the terrain and outline what needs to endure if the Internet is to remain open, secure and useful in a period of rapid technological change.

The Adams-Sweeting lecture series was created in honour of two of the University of Surreys most prestigious academics Professor of physics Alf Adams and chair of space engineering, Professor Sir Martin Sweeting.

Professor Adams invented the strained-layer quantum well laser, considered to be one of the top 10 greatest UK scientific breakthroughs of all time. It powers optical fibre communication, the internet, CDs, supermarket checkouts and billions of other devices.

Professor Sweeting is renowned worldwide as a pioneer of modern small satellites a concept which has fundamentally changed the economics of the space industry. He is founder and executive chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

Book now to avoid disappointment and hear from a leading voice on the future of the internet and AI.