Own the Unknown: An Anticipatory Approach to Prepare Society for the Quantum Age

Abstract

Quantum technology promises to shift the boundaries of what machines can do. Advancing our capacities to acquire, process and transmit information, quantum technology has the potential to impact nearly all domains in society. Therefore, we should start anticipating the future role of quantum technology and the ethical, legal, social and policy implications that come with it. One way of informing ourselves about how to do this is by making use of historical analogies. The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) developed a framework for embedding so-called system technologies into society based on a historical analysis of how society dealt with such technologies in the past. In this article, the conceptual framework of system technologies is reinterpreted as an anticipatory strategy to prepare society for quantum technology and vice versa. The proposed strategy has five dimensions: (1) countering unrealistic perceptions (demystification), (2) investing in a facilitating socio-technical environment (contextualisation), (3) engaging stakeholders and civil society (engagement), (4) creating flexible frameworks (regulation) (5) and developing international 'quantum diplomacy' (positioning). By actively engaging in these processes, society enables itself to guide the development of quantum technology and its impact within society.

Ten principles for responsible quantum innovation

“…Looking into the future, responsible quantum innovation principles apperceived by ELSPI considerations can inform debates on how to regulate QT. This complex and challenging task should be taken on before the technology becomes locked-in and entrenched [44,111]. Crucially, such a regulatory framework must take into account the unique and counter-intuitive properties of applied quantum phenomena, their dual-use nature, and the need to balance open innovation, fair competition [2,78], value appropriation, and risk management [39].…”

Building a quantum‐ready ecosystem

“…To employ methods of trust-building, one needs to frame the object of this trust, in this case, quantum technologies. It is discussed in the literature that quantum technologies can be considered system technologies with a systemic impact on society [76], which calls for an anticipatory approach. Similarly, arguing for a strong Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach can also be found in the literature [77].…”

“…As discussed earlier in this article, techno-economic paradigms are characterised by a set of shared beliefs, values, and practices that define the boundaries of what is considered technically feasible and economically viable [36], but in a wider context, these also need to be societal acceptable [35] to fully become system technologies [76]. Hence, organisations aiming for quantum readiness should keep track and maybe even actively participate in these discussions on what should be the wider set of values and protocols surrounding how these technologies interface with the market and the whole of society [83].…”

Quantum-ELSPI: A Novel Field of Research

“…It was only quite recently that the impact of QT on society became a topic in academic work. The work of Hoofnagle and Garfinkel (2022), Perrier (2022), Johnson (2018), Coenen and Grunwald (2017), Ten Holter et al (2021), De Wolf (2017, Vermaas (2017), Seskir et al (2023), Roberson (2023), De Jong (2022, and (Kop et al, 2023a, b), all in their own way explore Quantum-ELSPI and propose possible responses, laying the groundwork for further research. The articles that this topical collection features are among the most recent efforts within this field.…”

“…The second article by Eline De Jong titled "Own the Unknown: An Anticipatory Approach to Prepare Society for the Quantum Age" posits that quantum technology has the potential to impact society systemically (De Jong, 2022). Its promise to expand our abilities to gather, process, and communicate information means that nearly every aspect of society may be profoundly affected.…”