Ethical Issues

Ethical issues might not be foremost in your mind if you are interested in QC and QIS. Your thoughts probably tend to focus on qubits, superposition, entanglement, and measurement. Rightfully so. But because information technology has become so integrated with our lives, both professionally and personally, we know that its benefits are accompanied by side effects—sometimes serious and dangerous side effects. We are all familiar with identity theft, malicious hacking, ransomware, distribution of misinformation … the list goes on. We should be worried that QIS and QC might enhance the capabilities to break security codes, to increase the gathering of private information, and to deploy more sophisticated ways to disrupt the enemy’s (competitor’s) information technology systems.

These issues are already present in our society. The use of QIS and QC will likely accelerate their rate of growth, making each more pervasive and more difficult to deal with. For example:

• QC and QIS may make it easier to access your private information unless you are using a sophisticated quantum encryption algorithm.

• They may accelerate machine learning and AI in ways that we, as a society, are not prepared to deal with.

• Hackers and information technology disrupters may gain enhanced capabilities with the use of QCs.

• Quantum computational chemistry may lead to a plethora of new drugs, which might overwhelm our drug-testing capabilities.

• If new drugs are developed by QC methods, who gets access to these new drugs? Just those in the country whose scientists designed the drugs?

• QC chemistry may also lead to new ways of manipulating genetic codes—those of plants, animals, and humans—by finding more efficient and targeted gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR.

Other ethical issues are more focused on social justice, rather than technology. We should be asking hard questions such as the following:

• Will QC and QIS widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, both within a country and among countries? Will only those companies and countries that have access to QCs be able to enjoy their benefits?

• How do we assure diversity, equity, and inclusion in the QC and QIS workforce?

• How do we adapt our education systems to meet the new workforce needs generated by QC and QIS?

Both Alice and I encourage you to take these issues seriously and to talk about them with friends, colleagues, and those who make technology and educational policy.