Innovation, Quantum-AI Technology & Law

Blog over Kunstmatige Intelligentie, Quantum, Deep Learning, Blockchain en Big Data Law

Blog over juridische, sociale, ethische en policy aspecten van Kunstmatige Intelligentie, Quantum Computing, Sensing & Communication, Augmented Reality en Robotica, Big Data Wetgeving en Machine Learning Regelgeving. Kennisartikelen inzake de EU AI Act, de Data Governance Act, cloud computing, algoritmes, privacy, virtual reality, blockchain, robotlaw, smart contracts, informatierecht, ICT contracten, online platforms, apps en tools. Europese regels, auteursrecht, chipsrecht, databankrechten en juridische diensten AI recht.

Berichten met de tag Stanford
Law, Ethics and Policy of Quantum & AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences published at Harvard, Stanford and European Commission

A collaborative research initiative by scholars from Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, published by the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School, the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, and the European Commission, delves into the complex regulatory and ethical landscape of integrating quantum technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) into the healthcare and life sciences sectors. This series of policy guides and analyses, authored by an interdisciplinary team including Mauritz Kop, Suzan Slijpen, Katie Liu, Jin-Hee Lee, Constanze Albrecht, and I. Glenn Cohen, offers a comprehensive examination of the transformative potential and inherent challenges of this technological convergence.

Regulating Quantum & AI in Healthcare and Medicine: A Brief Policy Guide

This body of research, examining the entangled legal, ethical, and policy dimensions of integrating quantum technologies and AI into healthcare, is articulated across a series of publications in leading academic and policy forums. These works collaboratively build a comprehensive framework for understanding and navigating the future of medicine. A related policy guide was also published on the European Commission's Futurium platform, further disseminating these findings to a key international policymaking audience. The specific publications include:

1. A Brief Quantum Medicine Policy Guidehttps://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/12/06/a-brief-quantum-medicine-policy-guide/

2. How Quantum Technologies May Be Integrated Into Healthcare, What Regulators Should Considerhttps://law.stanford.edu/publications/how-quantum-technologies-may-be-integrated-into-healthcare-what-regulators-should-consider/

3. EU and US Regulatory Challenges Facing AI Health Care Innovator Firmshttps://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/04/04/eu-and-us-regulatory-challenges-facing-ai-health-care-innovator-firms/

4. Regulating Quantum & AI in Healthcare: A Brief Policy Guidehttps://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/european-ai-alliance/document/regulating-quantum-ai-healthcare-brief-policy-guide

by Mauritz Kop, Suzan Slijpen, Katie Liu, Jin-Hee Lee, Constanze Albrecht & I. Glenn Cohen

Forging the Future of Medicine: A Scholarly Perspective on the Law, Ethics, and Policy of Quantum and AI in Healthcare

The research posits that the fusion of AI with second-generation quantum technologies (2G QT)—which harness quantum-mechanical phenomena like superposition and entanglement—is poised to revolutionize precision medicine. This synergy of quantum computing, sensing and simulation with artificial intelligence promises hyper-personalized healthcare solutions, capable of tackling intricate medical problems that lie beyond the grasp of classical computing. The potential applications are vast, spanning from accelerated drug discovery and development workflows and enhanced diagnostic imaging to rapid genome sequencing and real-time health monitoring. For instance, quantum simulations could model molecular interactions to create more effective pharmaceuticals, while quantum dots may offer novel platforms for targeted cancer therapies and treatments for neurodegenerative conditions by overcoming the blood-brain barrier.

However, the authors caution that these groundbreaking advancements are accompanied by significant ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy (ELSPI) implications. The emergence of Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI), Quantum Machine Learning (QML), and Quantum Large Language Models (QLLM) is expected to amplify these ELSPI concerns. The dual-use nature of these technologies, such as their potential application in gain-of-function research, necessitates a principled and human-centric governance approach.

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Stanford Law’s Jin-Hee Lee, Katie Liu and Mauritz Kop visit Caltech Quantum Research Center

Pasadena, CA – On July 6, 2024, a team from the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) embarked on a research field trip to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), one of the world's preeminent hubs for quantum science research. This visit, part of an ongoing collaboration between the two world-leading institutions, was a crucial exercise in bridging the gap between the deeply technical world of quantum research and the complex legal, ethical, and societal frameworks required to govern it. The delegation, consisting of RQT Founding Director Mauritz Kop, RQT Fellow Jin-Hee Lee, and Research Assistant to the Director Katie Liu, traveled from Stanford to the heart of Southern California to engage directly with the scientists and engineers who are building the future of quantum. The visit was hosted by RQT Fellow Franz Pfanner, a PhD candidate at Caltech, and focused on the groundbreaking work being done at Caltech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM).

The day was dedicated to exploring the groundbreaking work being done at Caltech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), a flagship research center led by Professor Manuel Endres, within the university's prestigious Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy. This visit underscores the RQT Center's commitment to fostering a deeply interdisciplinary dialogue, ensuring that the development of responsible quantum governance is informed by a hands-on understanding of the technology itself.

The Epicenter of Quantum Innovation: Caltech's IQIM

Caltech stands as a global powerhouse in quantum research, and at its core is the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM). Under the leadership of Professor Manuel Endres, IQIM is dedicated to exploring the frontiers of quantum science, from the fundamental physics of quantum information to the development of novel quantum materials and devices. The institute's work is organized around several Major Activities (MAs), each tackling a different facet of the quantum puzzle.

Bridging Quantum Theory and Society: The Stanford RQT Projects

The visit to Caltech provided a rich technical context for the work being done by the Stanford RQT team, whose projects are focused on the human and societal dimensions of this emerging technological revolution.

Jin-Hee Lee, an RQT Fellow, is pioneering research in the nascent field of Quantum Human-Computer Interaction (Q-HCI). Her project addresses a critical, yet often overlooked, aspect of the quantum future: how will humans interact with these powerful and counterintuitive machines? As quantum computers move beyond the binary logic of classical computing and into the probabilistic realm of qubits and superposition, the interfaces through which we engage with them must be completely re-imagined. Jin-Hee's work, guided by the ELSPI (Ethical, Legal, Social, and Policy Implications) framework, aims to ensure that these interfaces are not only functional but also accessible, intuitive, and ethically designed, preventing the creation of a new digital divide and keeping humanity at the center of the quantum age.

Katie Liu, a Research Assistant at the RQT Center, is focusing on the intersection of quantum technology and neuroscience. Her project, "Responsible Quantum AI in Healthcare – Neurotechnology and Beyond," explores the transformative potential of quantum AI (QAI) to enhance diagnostics and treatments for complex neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Using the SEA (Safeguarding, Engaging, Advancing) principles as her guide, Katie is investigating how quantum algorithms can analyze the vast datasets generated by neuroimaging and real-time brain monitoring to create personalized treatment plans. Her research also addresses the profound ethical challenges of this work, from ensuring patient data privacy through quantum-resistant encryption to mitigating the dual-use risks of advanced neurotechnology.

A Cross-pollination of Disciplines and a Moment of Reflection

Following the intellectually stimulating day at Caltech, the Stanford delegation visited The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, taking time to reflect in the serene beauty of the Chinese Garden. The garden, with its intricate design and harmonious balance of natural and man-made elements, served as a powerful metaphor for the work ahead: building a responsible quantum future requires a similar blend of technical ingenuity, ethical foresight, and a deep appreciation for the human values we seek to preserve and enhance.

The journey to a quantum-enabled world is just beginning. But as the collaboration between institutions like Stanford and Caltech demonstrates, by working together across disciplines, we can ensure that this powerful new chapter in human history is written not with reckless abandon, but with wisdom, responsibility, and a shared commitment to the common good.

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IOP Quantum Science and Technology publishes Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation

Stanford, April 22, 2024—The leading peer-reviewed journal Quantum Science and Technology has published the open-access article, "Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation," a significant paper that offers actionable guidance for the ethical development of quantum technologies. The publication is the result of a two-year, deeply interdisciplinary study by a transatlantic group of leading scholars and represents a major step forward in operationalizing a framework for responsible quantum innovation.

This work builds upon the foundational research of the group, including the "Towards Responsible Quantum Technology" paper published by the Harvard Berkman Klein Center, and will be central to the mission of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology.

A Global, Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The paper is a testament to the power of global, interdisciplinary collaboration. Authored by a spectacular team of leading lights in law, philosophy & ethics, socioeconomics, data science, quantum physics, materials science & engineering, and innovation policy, the study brings together a wealth of expertise from the world's most prestigious academic institutions.

The author group, led by Mauritz Kop of Stanford University, includes Mateo Aboy (University of Cambridge), Eline De Jong (University of Amsterdam), Urs Gasser (Technical University of Munich), Timo Minssen (University of Copenhagen), I. Glenn Cohen (Harvard University), Mark Brongersma (Stanford University), Teresa Quintel (Maastricht University), Luciano Floridi (University of Oxford and Yale University), and Raymond Laflamme (University of Waterloo). This formidable team provides a holistic and robust foundation for the quantum governance principles outlined in the paper.

A Framework for Responsible Quantum Innovation

The paper's central contribution is a set of ten guiding principles designed to operationalize a framework for Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT). This framework seeks to integrate considerations of the Ethical, Legal, Social, and Policy Implications (ELSPI) of quantum technologies directly into the research and development lifecycle, while also responding to the core dimensions of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): anticipation, inclusion, reflection, and responsiveness.

The principles are organized into three functional categories, termed the SEA framework, which provides a methodological guide for the quantum community:

  • Safeguarding: This pillar focuses on the proactive identification and mitigation of risks associated with quantum technologies.

  • Engaging: This principle emphasizes the critical need for inclusive and continuous dialogue among all stakeholders, from researchers and industry to policymakers and the public.

  • Advancing: This pillar is dedicated to ensuring that quantum technology is actively steered towards desirable societal outcomes and contributes to addressing the world's most pressing challenges.

The Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation

The Ten Principles paper proposes the following ten actionable principles to help address the risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with the entire suite of second-generation quantum technologies:

  1. Information Security: Make information security an integral part of QT, proactively addressing security threats, including the risk quantum computers pose to current encryption standards.

  2. Dual Use: Proactively anticipate the malicious use of quantum applications by addressing the risks of dual-use technologies that can be employed for both beneficial and harmful purposes.

  3. Quantum Race: Seek international collaboration based on shared values to address the winner-takes-all dynamics of a potential quantum arms race.

  4. Quantum Gap: Consider our planet as the sociotechnical environment in which QT should function, engaging states to ensure equitable access and prevent a "quantum divide."

  5. Intellectual Property: Incentivize innovation while being as open as possible and as closed as necessary, engaging institutions to find the right balance between protecting intellectual property and fostering an open research environment.

  6. Inclusion: Pursue diverse R&D communities in terms of disciplines and people, engaging a wide range of voices to ensure a holistic approach to innovation.

  7. Societal Relevance: Link quantum R&D explicitly to desirable societal goals, advancing society by focusing on applications that address pressing needs.

  8. Complementary Innovation: Actively stimulate sustainable, cross-disciplinary innovation, advancing technology by exploring synergies with other fields like AI and biotechnology.

  9. Responsibility: Create an ecosystem to learn about the possible uses and consequences of QT applications, advancing our understanding of Responsible QT through continuous feedback and assessment.

  10. Education and Dialogue: Facilitate dialogues with stakeholders to better envision possible quantum futures, advancing our collective thinking and education about QT and its impact.

A Catalyst for a Values-Based Quantum Future

The overarching objective of this interdisciplinary effort is to steer the development and use of quantum technology in a direction that is not only consistent with a values-based society but also actively contributes to solving its most significant challenges. The "Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation" provides a crucial foundation for this work.

The paper is a call to action for the entire quantum community—researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and the public—to engage in the vital work of building a responsible quantum ecosystem. As the authors conclude, the goal is to develop and operationalize these guiding principles into the best practices and real-world applications that will define the quantum future. The annual Stanford RQT Conference, among other initiatives, will continue to provide a forum for these critical, interdisciplinary discussions.

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Mauritz Kop Judge at 6th Annual Junior Faculty Forum for Law and STEM at Stanford

On October 27, 2023, Stanford Law School hosted the 6th Annual Junior Faculty Forum for Law and STEM, a premier event organized and hosted by Professor Mark Lemley that convenes the next generation of leading legal scholars to present and refine their cutting-edge research. The forum, which rotates between Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University, provides a vital platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on the complex legal challenges posed by rapid scientific and technological advancement. Mauritz Kop, a recognized expert in technology law and governance, had the honor of serving as a judge and commentator, contributing to the rigorous intellectual exchange that defines the event.

The forum's mission is to foster the development of early-career academics by providing a supportive yet critical environment for them to receive feedback from senior scholars in their fields. Over two days, junior faculty presented works-in-progress on a diverse array of topics, from the metaverse and quantum computing to medical device regulation and genome governance, showcasing the breadth and depth of contemporary law and STEM scholarship.

The Call for Papers: Fostering Interdisciplinary Law & Technology Scholarship

The selection of presenters for the forum is a rigorous process, initiated by a formal Call for Papers issued by the organizing universities: Northwestern, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford Law School. The call invites junior faculty from any discipline to submit papers on any topic related to the intersection of law and STEM. The goal is to promote interdisciplinary research that explores how developments in STEM are affecting law and vice versa, with a preference for papers that strongly integrate these two fields.

A Rich Tapestry of Emerging Legal Questions

The agenda for the 2023 forum was a testament to the pressing legal and ethical questions emerging from the frontiers of science and technology. The papers presented offered a glimpse into the future of legal scholarship and the complex societal issues that lawmakers, judges, and regulators will face in the coming years.

Among the thought-provoking works discussed were:

  1. "Taxing the Metaverse" by Christine Kim (Cardozo School of Law): This paper tackles the novel challenge of how to apply principles of taxation to the burgeoning virtual economy. Kim argues that economic activity within the metaverse satisfies traditional definitions of income and that failing to tax it would create a new kind of tax haven. The paper explores how the metaverse could serve as a laboratory for modernizing the tax system, potentially overcoming the traditional realization requirement.

  2. "Regulating Medical Device Innovation" by George Horvath (University of Akron School of Law): Horvath reframes the debate around medical device safety, moving beyond the narrow concept of "predicate creep" in the 510(k) clearance process to a broader analysis of "device creep." He makes the counterintuitive argument that properly structured safety regulations can stimulate, rather than stifle, innovation by building a more robust clinical knowledge base.

  3. "Who Owns Children's DNA?" by Nila Bala (UC Davis School of Law): This article addresses the critical and underexplored issue of parental control over children's genetic information. Bala argues that parental consent is an insufficient safeguard against the collection and use of a child's DNA by law enforcement, particularly in the context of direct-to-consumer genetic testing. She proposes moving from a framework of parents-as-owners to parents-as-fiduciaries, drawing on property law principles to protect the child's long-term interests.

  4. "Gene Stewards: Rethinking Genome Governance" by Shelly Simana (Stanford Law School): Simana confronts the exploitative practices of entities that collect and use human genetic material. She proposes a new statutory category of "Gene Stewards," which would impose quasi-fiduciary duties of loyalty and care on these powerful public and private entities, ensuring they act as responsible stewards of this sensitive information.

Reviewing "Privacy in the Quantum Age"

As part of his role, Mauritz Kop, alongside Professor Christopher Yoo of the University of Pennsylvania, served as a commentator for the paper "Privacy in the Quantum Age" by Anat Lior (Yale Law School). Lior's paper addresses the profound privacy implications of quantum computing, particularly its potential to break current encryption standards.

In his review, Kop commended Lior for her courage in tackling such a complex and deeply interdisciplinary subject. He emphasized the need for legal scholars entering this domain to achieve a high level of "quantum literacy" to engage credibly with both the technology's promise and its perils. He offered several pieces of constructive feedback aimed at strengthening the paper's impact and scholarly contribution.

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Scarcity, Regulation, and the Abundance Society Roundtable at Stanford Law

In 2022, Mauritz Kop had the honor of contributing a chapter to the book project "Scarcity, Regulation, and the Abundance Society," a special volume of Frontiers in Research edited by two leading minds in technology law, Professor Mark Lemley of Stanford Law School and Professor Deven Desai of Georgia Institute of Technology. The project culminates years of research and dialogue, including a memorable and insightful roundtable held at Stanford Law School.

The central inquiry of the project is to explore how our legal and economic institutions, which are fundamentally built on scarcity, should respond as "technologies of abundance" make scarcity a thing of the past in many industries. As new technologies like AI, 3D printing, and synthetic biology democratize and disrupt production, the book examines whether we will try to legally replicate scarcity or reorder our society to focus on things other than scarcity.

The "Abundance and Equality" Chapter Edited by Mark Lemley

His chapter, titled "Abundance and Equality," was edited by Mark Lemley and connects the concepts of good governance and the end of scarcity by unifying equality with technology-driven abundance. The piece introduces the Equal Relative Abundance (ERA) principle—a post-Rawlsian framework for distributive justice designed for an age of abundance.

The ERA principle builds on John Rawls's "difference principle" but integrates desert-based critique, arguing that unequal rewards for contributions (due to hard work, talent, or entrepreneurial spirit) are justified only to the extent that they also improve the position of the least advantaged members of society. The chapter examines how ten key exponential technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution—including AI, quantum technology, and biotechnology—are the primary drivers of this shift from scarcity to abundance. It critically analyzes our existing scarcity-based institutions, particularly property and intellectual property law, and posits that we must begin experimenting with hybrid systems that mix the best of forward-thinking socialist and ethical post-capitalist paradigms, built on a foundation of participatory democracy.

Mauritz Kop Presents Book Chapter at 2022 Stanford Law’s Abundance Roundtable

On April 22, 2022, the project's contributors gathered for a roundtable workshop at Stanford Law School. The event provided a forum for a deeply interdisciplinary group of scholars to present their work and engage in a robust dialogue about the future of our society. The format consisted of short 8-10 minute presentations followed by 20 minutes of discussion, fostering a rich exchange of ideas.

A Convergence of Post-Scarcity Presentations and Discussions

During his session, Kop presented the core arguments from his "Abundance and Equality" chapter, outlining the tension between technology-driven abundance and the persistent reality of inequality for many across the globe. He introduced the ERA principle as a moral and political guide for distributing the benefits and burdens of our increasingly abundant future.

The roundtable featured a breadth of perspectives. Vivek Wadhwa discussed solving humanity's grand challenges, while Funmi Arewa explored the scarcity of opportunity within the digital economy. Zahr Said and Joshua Fairfield tackled the creation of artificial scarcity through intellectual property and the legal status of virtual property in the age of NFTs, respectively. Shane Greenstein of Harvard Business School offered insights on supply chains and the platformization of clothing personalization. This convergence of ideas underscored the complexity of the transition ahead and the need for holistic solutions.

Musical Interlude: A Spontaneous Translation of Ideas

The roundtable was a stimulating intellectual affair, filled with rigorous debate. During lunch break, celebrating the occasion, Mauritz Kop sat down at the piano in the Stanford Faculty Lounge and performed a brief impromptu musical interlude. It was a personal endeavour to translate the abstract and often-dense themes of our discussion—the post-scarcity economy, abundance, equality, and the human condition—into the universal language of music. It was an opportunity for him to share that moment with his colleagues, connecting the analytical with the artistic.

The "Scarcity, Regulation, and the Abundance Society" project is a vital and timely undertaking. The discussions at the Stanford roundtable and the resulting publications provide a critical foundation for reimagining our legal, economic, and social institutions for a new era. These forward-looking conversations are essential for ensuring that the future of technological abundance is one that fosters not new forms of inequality, but greater justice and human flourishing for all.

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Ethics in the Quantum Age

Honored to write about Ethics in the Quantum Age in the Physics World Special on Quantum 2.0, and to be given the chance to outline an ethical framework for quantum technologies, which includes a definition of quantum-ethics.

Mauritz Kop, Why we need to consider the ethical implications of quantum technologies, Physics World, IOP Publishing, (December 1, 2021)

Physics World Special on Quantum 2.0

Physics World is the magazine of the UK-based Institute of Physics (IOP), one of the largest physical societies in the world.

Link to the article: https://physicsworld.com/a/why-we-need-to-consider-the-ethical-implications-of-quantum-technologies/

Download the Ethics in the Quantum Age article here.

We need to build bridges of mutual understanding between disciplines – a move that will involve learning to speak each other’s language, which is easier said than done. Therefore, it is a promising sign that the quantum community reaches out to lawyers, philosophers, and ethicists to explain them the importance of ethics and the societal impact of quantum technologies in their own technical journal.

Making Quantum Technologies Ethical

Please find a short introduction below:

Over the past decades, research into quantum technologies has come to the stage where the science is rapidly being translated into real-world applications be it quantum computers, materials and communications systems. These advancements are witnessed by the considerable number of quantum start-ups that have emerged in recent years. Yet before these innovations can be diffused, we must ensure that ethical, legal and social implications are sufficiently addressed. Against this backdrop, attention is now turning to interdisciplinary efforts to identify the dilemma’s ingrained in making quantum technologies ethical.

A Multi-layered Ethical Framework for Quantum Technologies

The article proposes a multi-layered ethical framework for quantum technologies, including a definition of quantum ethics. At one level, we employ the old, familiar “normative” ethics that apply to all transformative technologies and to information. In addition, the counterintuitive phenomena that underpin quantum physics – such as superposition, entanglement and tunnelling – require a tailored, applied ethics approach. In other words, due to the unique characteristics of quantum technologies – such as the unprecedented capabilities of quantum sensors, the features of quantum networks, and the probabilistic nature of quantum computing – we also develop a new subtype of context-specific practical ethics. In this way we constitute our theory in well-established ethical traditions while at the same time providing tailor-made solutions.

Definition of Quantum Ethics

One possible definition of quantum ethics could be: “Quantum ethics calls for humans to act virtuously, abiding by the standards of ethical practice and conduct set by the quantum community, and to make sure these actions have desirable consequences, with the latter being higher in rank in case it conflicts with the former.

More quantum research at Stanford Law School here.

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