(Papers.SSRN) An abstract of a a legal and policy framework for governing quantum technologies at the federal or international level is proposed here by Walter G. Johnson, an Arizona State University (ASU) student at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is here. Johnson explains that the mechanisms for governing quantum technologies at the federal or international level has not yet emerged and requires critical evaluation. More traditional command and control regulation could thwart promised advances and shirk national security imperatives, while under-regulation may jeopardize privacy rights and fail to realize useful civilian applications.
Instead, Johnson writes that “. . a softer governance approaches offer agility, flexibility, and an important first step towards responsible innovation and oversight in quantum technologies’. Looking to the strengths and weaknesses of such soft law mechanisms implemented around nanotechnologies can illuminate and guide useful governance interventions. Optimizing the risk-benefit curve in dual-use quantum technologies will require public, private, and civilian entities to deploy soft law approaches to maximize societal benefits while mitigating domestic injustice and international tensions.
Governance Tools for the Second Quantum Revolution
