Conference: ReDDDoT Phase I: Workshop: Responsible Quantum Innovation

Quantum technologies stand at the frontier of scientific innovation, offering transformative capabilities extending well beyond the reach of current technologies. Quantum sensors achieve unprecedented levels of sensitivity, quantum computing promises to tackle challenges deemed impossible for classical computers, and quantum communication introduces the potential for unbreakable security, heralding a new era of secure communication networks.

A new legal and regulatory landscape is evolving in response to the advent of quantum technologies, but the state of scholarship on responsible quantum innovation remains nascent. There is a critical need for interdisciplinary research that bridges the gap between quantum advancements and their societal, ethical, and legal implications. This project aims to fill this gap by networking quantum researchers with experts across law and the social sciences to develop strategies to promote responsible innovation and early-stage intervention against potential societal harms.

The network and research products flowing from this project will establish a research foundation to support regulators, legislators, and industry leaders in crafting and refining responsible innovation strategies. Additionally, it will create an ongoing hub for sustained cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among a network of researchers and public policy professionals, fostering continuous advancement in research, policy development, and ethical considerations in the quantum domain.

The primary mechanism for developing the aforementioned outcomes is through a high-level convening of experts from the fields of law, humanities, public policy, business, physics, engineering, and computer science. The project integrates interdisciplinary expertise from faculty collaborators, along with partners from industry and civil society, to generate actionable guidelines to manage the social impacts of quantum technologies as they are developed and deployed.

The main hub for developing this research and expertise will be through a workshop at UCLA, organized under the auspices of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy (ITLP), a collaboration between the schools of law and engineering. However, the workshop will be bookended by extensive engagement and networking activities at both the frontend and backend, culminating in a basket of policy-focused deliverables including the launch of a new interdisciplinary Quantum Policy Research Group, a blog series on major quantum policy challenges, and a Special Issue of the UCLA Journal of Law & Technology dedicated to quantum research and the law.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.