The document discusses the evolution from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, highlighting the shift towards more interactive, application-like experiences and the role of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). It introduces AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) as a technology that allows for dynamic, asynchronous web communication, improving user interaction without the traditional 'click-wait-refresh' pattern. Key AJAX functions and the XMLHttpRequest object are outlined, emphasizing their importance in modern web application development.