Panel Discussion: Is the World Ready for Quantum Technology? Benefits, Challenges, Applications

Panel Discussion with leading Quantum computing technology experts exploring its future: challenges, applications, potential benefits, and threats.

Panel participants

Andrew Lord, Head of Optics at BT

Kelly Richdale, VP Quantum Safe Security at ID Quantique

Prof. Keith Martin, Information Security, Royal Holloway, UoL

Richard Murray, Lead Technologist at Innovate UK

Shadi Razak, CTO at CyNation

Quantum technology is a technical reality and not a science fiction, and its certain uses are already revenue generating.

£270m government investment into quantum computing technologies in 2013 was a great move, however, more must be invested if UK wants to further fuel its ambition of becoming a global leader and pioneer the industry.

The ethical issues are going to be particularly important. The capability of a quantum computer to undermine most public-key cryptography (PKC) in use today, presents a serious challenge to society and, arguably, could prevent the technology from further commercialisation. Having said that, other technologies such as Artificial Intelligence are also contributing to this ethical challenge for economy and society.

The ability to break PKC drives a massive research initiative to build new public key encryption algorithms and other cryptographic tools to safeguard data in a quantum computing world.  However, another broadly used symmetric type of cryptography is quantum safe already and will be refined even further. 

Developing quantum algorithms will help financial sectors to conduct highly accurate financial modelling as well as predict future events in trading. A quantum computer can process a vast number of calculations simultaneously, analyse very complex variables, and build precise predictive models from complex data. This can be applied in weather forecasting, traffic management or route planning, to name a few.   

The issue of cybersecurity in the quantum age is manifold and strongly associated with the vulnerability of public key cryptography in use today in most infrastructures and systems. On the one hand, we do not know how much time it will take two or three major players to dominate the market and potentially break them; or whether it is going to happen at all – currently there is no a universal quantum computer having this capability. On the other hand, quantum-enabled security itself will offer 100% bullet-proof protection guaranteed by the laws of physics. Quantum enabled algorithms will enable organisations to rapidly detect infinite number of manifestations of malicious behaviours and fraud scenarios, making an attack non-viable.

A powerful enough quantum computer to threaten cryptographic standards, will be put under lots of control and its owner may well face strong headwinds to get export clearance for its technology. However, since we do not have a “United Nations” of Cybersecurity or a single global regulator, we need to look very seriously at how to avoid the risk for public safety, and make sure the world is secure before quantum computers are unleashed.

The other use cases of quantum we look forward to see in the future:

Quantum Artificial Intelligence application in scientific discovery, biotech and biological systems modelling;

Quantum simulation to accelerate the design of quantum electronic devices beyond the reach of supercomputers;

Quantum chemistry to design drugs in the form of small molecules to fight cancer;

Quantum gravity sensing devices to precisely analyse underground infrastructure and its composition;

Quantum glasses for the blind to recreate the surrounding environment within a certain distance. 

Quantum PUF (physical unclonable function) to prevent counterfeit drugs;

Stay tuned as more uses are coming!  One will not have to be a quantum physicist to use them.
 
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