Also, I think it's clear that most people use "create" and "invent" as synonyms most of the time, especially when the object being invented or created is one-of-a-kind (which is believed to be true for the internet by most of the public, though it isn't strictly true).

So, when someone says, "Al Gore says he invented the internet" and you say, "No, he said 'took the initiative in creating the internet' ", that someone is likely to say, "Why say 'no' if you're going to agree?"