World Economic Forum Quantum Computing Ethics & Governance Principles

During 2021, Mauritz Kop helped design the World Economic Forum Quantum Governance Principles. In January 2022, the World Economic Forum released its accompanying Quantum Computing Governance Principles Insight Report. The report and principles were developed as part of a co-design process over the course of 2021 with a diverse set of global quantum stakeholders from industry, academia and government.

In 2021, Mauritz Kop helped design the World Economic Forum Quantum Governance Principles.

Governance Principles for the Responsible Design and Adoption of Quantum Computing

In 2022, our multidisciplinary WEF expert group published the first set of governance principles for the responsible design and adoption of quantum computing technology. A global multi stakeholder initiative to create an ethical framework enabling the responsible design and adoption of quantum computing. Quantum computing, though at its early stages, will help provide very significant advances in our computing capabilities and will have a considerable impact on improving the state of the world in the coming years. It could have a revolutionary impact on human well-being, national security, and global society, along with potential commercial applications across industries.

The Quantum Computing Ethics project is part of the World Economic Forum’s Shaping the Future of Technology Governance: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Platform.

10 Guiding Principles for Quantum Computing published at Yale

The Principles build in part on the prior 10 Guiding Principles for Quantum Computing published March 30, 2021 in the Yale Journal of Law & Technology in my article titled: Establishing a Legal-Ethical Framework for Quantum Technology.

There, I argue that the unique physical characteristics of quantum mechanics demand universal guiding principles of responsible, human-centered quantum technology. To this end, the article proposes ten guiding principles for the development and application of quantum technology. These ground rules aim to put controls in place and integrate our common democratic norms, standards and values into the design of our future hi-tech systems as much as possible

Law and ethics frequently interrelate. Ethical standards for quantum should however be a supplementation to legal measures, and not a replacement. Ethics alone can never be enough when regulating high-risk technologies like dual use quantum tech and quantum artificial intelligence. To make sure all groups of society benefit from quantum and AI we have to put controls in place that address identified risks and incentivise sustainable innovation.