Metaethics of Quantum Technology – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Prachi Mishra

Quantum science is important for studying the details of physical matter, and the technologies derived from it have immense destructive power. Atomic bombs, lasers and semiconductors are some of the first achievements of quantum mechanics. These technical translations described the “first generation” of quantum applications. Lasers and atomic bombs were breakthroughs in his mid-twenties,^th Century, “Second Generation” looks at engineering materials previously extracted from nature to manipulate them using quantum computers.

The novelty of quantum technology sets it apart from other emerging technologies. It boosts computational power, dramatically reduces processing time, and can easily break modern cryptography. However, unlike other emerging technologies, quantum capabilities can increase threats to national security, significantly increase the number of cyber-attacks, and pose challenges to the secure transfer of data.

From extensive research into the dangers of atomic bomb use over the last century to modern cyberspace regulation to mitigate cybercrime, the social, economic, legal, and ethical implications of technology have impacted the world. peace, security, stability and sustainable development of

Cooperation or Confrontation: What the Atomic Bomb Taught the World

The aftermath of the use of the atomic bomb continues to be pivotal in our contemporary understanding of the ethics of science and technology. Lessons learned from the use of the atomic bomb, the most practical application of quantum science, could be a springboard for evolving the ethics of quantum technology in the 21st century.^st century. Central to this learning is knowing whether nations are developing techniques for conflict and cooperation. For those leading the second generation of quantum computing, it becomes a moral question whether to help the have-nots or exercise technological, economic, political and psychological control. . Tech leaders in this field need to understand whether they are building quantum science for the betterment of humanity as a whole, or to undermine the freedom and sovereignty of others.

After the world wars, many multilateral organizations, treaties, conventions and agreements were enacted to limit the use of technology that could lead to catastrophic events, but the world also witnessed many deviations. I’m here. With these learnings, shaping the ethics of quantum technology becomes the responsibility not only of the scientific community, but of nations, academia, civil society, and thought leaders.

Some Ethical Contemporary Concerns

As a handful of global tech companies such as Google, IBM, and Intel make major strides in quantum technology, they claim even greater supremacy in global technology decisions, key technology trends, and the rules governing their use. very likely to. This could lead to more serious scrutiny by these tech giants, who along with other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) will easily expand their oligopolistic behavior. The same can be applied to nation-states. As quantum computing develops, so too does the ability of certain countries to massively expand surveillance of their citizens and to deploy various technological means of surveillance.

Another major ethical issue with using quantum technology is the ease with which traditional cryptography can be hacked. Countries such as China and the United States (US), which have made great strides in building quantum computers and testing some applications, are gaining an edge over others. Traditional desktop PCs and other handheld devices cannot withstand cyberattacks from quantum computers. This puts the data of billions of people at risk, undermines the technological sovereignty of hundreds of countries, and leaves national secrets vulnerable. Quantum-safe algorithms are underway, but important concerns have been raised about the information already residing in the cloud, thousands of internet-enabled devices, storage devices, and millions of servers where vast amounts of data are stored. increase. What an attacker does with quantum computing capabilities with this amount of data is a question within the scope of the global debate on quantum ethics. Quantum technology will only exacerbate the problem, as cases of deep fakes are on the rise.

Challenges of a similar nature plague scientists in all other fields as well. For example, for biologists, once quantum computers are mature enough to manipulate gene sequences, how should we ensure the impartiality and morality of those experiments? Quantum applications should not be elusive to the public, nor should they drive society towards a wider economic gap. Anti-monopoly concerns should be investigated. As most of them argue, these arguments should grow in parallel with technology development.

Basic rules for shaping quantum metaethics

Against this background, there is a need to establish rules, agreements, frameworks and guidelines for the ethical, legal and moral use of quantum technologies. At the most widely accepted level, normative principles of ethics can be extended to quantum technology. These include its fair and just use, the benevolence and goodwill translation of technology, and sustainability. Some principles are shown in Table 1.

In addition to these general ethical principles, the metaethics of quantum technology should be aligned with the underlying laws governing quantum science, such as superposition, tunneling, and entanglement. For example, using quantum computing with machine learning algorithms on quantum datasets raises ethical concerns as the nature of the results differs from conventional results. Therefore, we need to develop a framework that is in line with the very nature of quantum science.

Who Constructs Ethics Agreements?

Physicists, scientists, and academics who are experts in the field should be given decision-making roles while creating an ethical convention for the use of quantum technology. Quantum technologies must adhere to standard rules of ethics and legality, and the conventions laid down by the scientific community should also be appreciated. As quantum applications and quantum data differ from traditional applications and data, ethical frameworks specific to these application areas may also evolve. For example, healthcare guidelines may differ from those set for financial markets. To regulate quantum technology, nations should use a multidisciplinary approach. There, evidence-based technology policy-making is used alongside the social and natural sciences.

Nations can leverage global platforms (such as regional multilateral groups such as the G20 and QUAD) to initiate and mature discussions on the ethics of quantum technology in a similar fashion to existing technologies such as AI and machine learning. can do. Similarly, coalitions and task forces established by multi-stakeholder ecosystems consisting of governments, industry associations, and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations on emerging technologies can also be modeled for quantum technologies. They act as a holistic system that can provide both standard ethical guidelines and context-specific guidelines.

Beyond these, focused projects and initiatives in academia and civil society organizations can play an important role in shaping the global and contextualized debate on quantum technologies. For example, the Quantum Ethical, Legal, Social, and Policy Implications (ELSPI) project, a joint initiative of the Universities of Stanford and Oxford, and the University of Sydney and the Observer Research Foundation are developing literature and research to investigate the impact of quantum technologies on society as a whole. Created other intellectual resources. It also facilitates knowledge exchange between different communities and ensures civil society participation.

in conclusion

Quantum metaethics and consensus should not be seen as an obstacle to new technological development and innovation. Rather, we should pave the way for comprehensive technical translation for the benefit of mankind. These frameworks should be adopted by all factions of the quantum multi-stakeholder ecosystem, including the quantum science community. Assembling rules and guidelines for this purpose is certainly cumbersome as it requires bringing together the social sciences, philosophy and pure sciences.