Quantum technologies have the potential to upend the economic, social, and national security landscape. While many of their most transformative applications remain on the horizon, researchers envision breakthroughs ranging from predictive modeling systems capable of forecasting weather, traffic, and market fluctuations, to ultra-sensitive sensors revolutionizing medical diagnostics. As with all emerging technologies, breakthroughs in quantum computing also bring potential risks to manage, including the amplification of government surveillance and a range of advanced military applications. Persistent questions also remain surrounding the equitable distribution of quantum’s economic and social benefits, alongside the need to foster innovation without reinforcing existing concentrations of power and wealth.
The implications of quantum technologies are deeply political. The choices made today about how to fund research, structure international and public-private cooperation, and design guardrails will shape who benefits from quantum advances and who bears the burdens. As such, quantum policy demands a broad, inclusive dialogue that engages lawmakers, civil society, and global stakeholders, alongside leading quantum scientists and engineers. Only by acting early can we ensure that the quantum revolution advances human flourishing and democratic governance, rather than exacerbating inequality or fueling authoritarian control.
This series brings together a wide range of perspectives on the policy challenges emerging from the quantum revolution, offering insights into how advances in quantum computing, networking, and sensing could reshape our world. While the contributors approach these issues from different angles, they share a common conviction: that we must confront these questions now—before the technology becomes ubiquitous—so that scholars, policymakers, civil society, and other stakeholders are better equipped to shape a more equitable and secure quantum future.
- In “The Digital Divide Meets the Quantum Divide,” Alessia Zornetta and Michael Karanicolas evaluate the implications of the quantum revolution for global development, and in particular for Global South countries likely to be locked out of emerging research and development collaborations.
- Tracey Forrest and Nikolas Guggenberger weigh the emerging role of antitrust or competition rules towards supporting longer-term quantum investment and a competitive research landscape.
- Edward Parker discusses challenges that quantum computing poses to cryptography, and the need for allied governments to ensure that communications interoperability is secure against quantum attacks.
- Ulrich Mans considers emerging geostrategic questions related to quantum supply chains, and how the relationships and collaborations of today will likely set dynamics for the next generation of innovation.
- Anh Nguyen considers how the IP value chain applies to quantum innovation, and discusses avenues to prevent chokepoints likely to stifle innovation.
- Argyri Panezi surveys security risks and opportunities related to these technologies to emphasize the need for a broad and inclusive governance framework.
- Michael Siebecker considers shifting standards of corporate governance as a result of new insights and strategic planning developed through quantum computing, which in turn will likely impact standards of oversight, diligence and liability.
- Zahra Takhshid and Mark Gyure discuss the impact of quantum sensing on privacy risks, as well as the need to update legal frameworks to accommodate the unprecedented data collection power of these devices.
The articles have been developed for Just Security as part of a research collaboration between the Center for Quantum Networks, the Narang Lab, and Dalhousie University’s Law and Technology Institute (LATI), with support from the National Science Foundation’s Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies program.
Together, we hope this series will advance policy discussions on quantum technologies, help prepare decisionmakers for the quantum revolution, and cultivate legal and policy frameworks that harness quantum’s full potential while mitigating potential risks.
