Quantum Computing’s Dual Role: Promising Innovation and Potential Threat to Digital Security

Quantum computing, while promising in fields like logistics, finance, and medicine, also poses risks to global digital infrastructure by potentially breaking public key encryption technologies. Balancing the opportunities and risks of this technology requires careful consideration of scientific freedom and security measures. The human rights framework, emphasizing the right to science, privacy, and freedom of expression, provides guidance for government policy on quantum computing. Governments must support the development of alternative encryption technologies and regulate the use of quantum technologies for undesirable applications. As quantum computing evolves, its implications for human rights will become an increasingly important topic of discussion.

What is the Potential Impact of Quantum Computing on Human Rights?

Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving field that holds significant promise for peaceful applications in various domains such as logistics, finance, and medicine. However, one of the more immediate potential applications of quantum computing, should it become sufficiently powerful, is the breaking of public key encryption technologies. This application is mostly useful for governments in their intelligence gathering activities, which are strongly related to the military domain. However, it also poses significant risks to the information security of global digital infrastructure in a broader sense.

Given the potential risks of this technology, it is crucial to determine which policies, rules, or otherwise are needed to shape the development of quantum computing. One simplified way of determining these rules is by balancing the opportunities associated with these technologies with the risks. However, this assessment is complicated by the fact that the development of quantum computing is a quintessentially scientific undertaking. Getting these machines to work at scale requires an intricate understanding of physical effects at the quantum level, combined with technologies that can sense and manipulate reality at that level.

Insights from this research may lead to spin-offs which have little to do with quantum technologies and with benefits that are difficult to calculate. Moreover, the development of science very much depends on the freedom of scientists to choose what to focus on, to collaborate, and to share knowledge. There’s an obvious tension in the scientific freedom required to develop these technologies and the measures which may be contemplated to mitigate the risks associated with quantum computers.

How Can We Resolve the Tension Between Scientific Freedom and Security Risks?

For example, quantum computer-related export controls could limit the risks posed to digital infrastructure, but these measures also impact international collaboration. One important question is how this tension can be resolved when devising policy on quantum computing.

One aspect of this answer lies in the application of the human right to science, read together with the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression. In this article, these rights are applied to the development of quantum computing to provide guidance for government policy on quantum computing.

Firstly, the risks of breaking public key encryption and the scientific nature of the development of this technology are discussed. Then, the human rights framework is discussed, focusing on the European Convention for Human Rights, the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

What Does the Human Rights Framework Say About Quantum Computing?

Finally, this framework is applied to the development of quantum computing and lessons are drawn for other contexts. The main answer to the question is that the right to science, read together with the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression, imposes on governments two obligations.

First, states must create the conditions for scientific research to flourish, even if this research may carry significant societal risks. This applies also to research and development of quantum technologies. In the context of quantum computing, this primarily means investing in the development and uptake of alternative encryption technologies which are resistant to attacks by quantum computers.

It also means regulating the use of these technologies for applications which are undesirable. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, as part of the Quantum Software Consortium programme. Elements of this work are part of a PhD which was defended in October 2022 by O.L. van Daalen, titled “Making and Breaking with Science and Conscience: The Human Rights Compatibility of Information Security Governance in the Context of Quantum Computing and Encryption”.

How Can Governments Balance Scientific Freedom and Security Concerns?

In conclusion, the development of quantum computing presents both opportunities and risks. While the technology holds significant promise for peaceful applications, it also poses significant risks to the information security of global digital infrastructure.

Balancing these opportunities and risks is a complex task that requires careful consideration of the scientific freedom required to develop these technologies and the measures needed to mitigate the associated risks. The human rights framework provides a useful tool for navigating this complex landscape, emphasizing the importance of creating conditions for scientific research to flourish while also protecting privacy and freedom of expression.

Governments have a crucial role to play in this process, both in terms of supporting the development and uptake of alternative encryption technologies and in regulating the use of quantum technologies for undesirable applications. By doing so, they can help to ensure that the development of quantum computing is compatible with human rights and contributes positively to society.

What are the Future Implications of Quantum Computing on Human Rights?

Looking ahead, the implications of quantum computing for human rights are likely to become an increasingly important topic of discussion. As the technology continues to evolve, so too will the opportunities and risks it presents.

It is therefore crucial that governments, researchers, and policymakers continue to engage with these issues, drawing on the human rights framework to guide their decisions. By doing so, they can help to ensure that the development of quantum computing is conducted in a way that respects human rights and contributes positively to society.

In the end, the goal should be to harness the potential of quantum computing for the benefit of all, while also mitigating the risks it poses to information security and other areas of concern. This will require ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and commitment from all stakeholders involved in the development and governance of quantum computing.