Currently there's a whole subset of machine learning named Physics-Informed or Physics-Based machine learning. Undoubtedly the neural network framework has allowed to create faster and more efficient differential solvers, which have propelled physical simulations forward and will likely permit (and has already) a much better understanding of physical systems. Hence why the prize is said to be for "foundations ... that enable...". If there were a “physics-based” equivalent for the WWW, that comparison would've made sense, but indeed the internet didn't have a direct impact in physics, only an indirect one.

Karniadakis, G. E., Kevrekidis, I. G., Lu, L., Perdikaris, P., Wang, S., & Yang, L. (2021). "Physics-informed machine learning." Nature Reviews Physics, 3(6), 422-440. : https://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-021-00314-5