Quantum Computing & Ethical Considerations
The idea of using quantum mechanics to improve the speed and security of computers has been around for over four decades and will become feasible technology within the next ~10 years.
Quantum computers will have the power to change much of the way we interact with computers and technology we use today. Three areas where this is particularly apparent is in breaking and remaking cryptography (this is as scary as it sounds), faster search and optimisation (think optimizing ML models by finding the best solution in their search space), and the simulation of quantum systems (drug discovery, more efficient batteries, nuclear physics, etc)
While this power could drive unprecedented progress, it also comes with critical risks if misused. Take cryptography, for instance. Encryption currently protects individuals, companies, and governments from a variety of threats, securing everything from financial data to state secrets. Quantum advancements, however, could crack today’s encryption, exposing sensitive information and making internet interactions fundamentally insecure. The risks extend to quantum computing’s other potential applications - actors with monopolistic or disruptive ambitions could wield it to destabilize economic systems or control access to digital networks. This potential for harm makes the accessibility and use of quantum technology a matter of global concern.
Although it is not yet known how accessible advancements in quantum computing will be, it is most likely that it will not be widely accessible. This will lead to an imbalance of power, wealth and knowledge between a select few states or big companies and the rest of the world. This sets up a negative feedback loop, quantum computing is a capital intensive research area and as these states make further advancements they are less likely to be disrupted by smaller companies and start-ups. This is similar to the state of play in the 1950s and 1960s by the monopoly in classical computing held by early movers.
The entrenched monopolies in the 1950s and 1960s were torn down by Moore’s law, a shift towards open source software, and cheaper components used to build classical computers. It is important that quantum computing goes in the same direction; first a very few expensive machines and moving towards cheaper and more powerful quantum computers with open source collaboration and shared research efforts. We currently sit at the cusp of the quantum era and ensuring this shift happens now is vital to the future of quantum computing. Ideally this would come about for commercial reasons, much like AWS and cloud computing, where the direct impact of quantum computers is clear and viable.
A similar argument can be made for access to research and knowledge in quantum computing and quantum information. Originally, most of the research produced about quantum computation was led by the scientific community and made publicly available. More recently, there has been a big push by large companies and government agencies to keep these advancements secret. The onus is on the wider community to prevent this growing trend. Science should be an open, safe, collaborative, and accessible effort for all.