Quantum News Briefs August 22: Fujitsu to start selling quantum computers in 2023, Quantum computing should not repeat mistakes made by world refusing to regulate AI, & China’s compact QKD system paving the way to cost-effective satellite-based quantum networks & MORE

Vivek Wadhwa, a columnist at Foreign Policy, and Mauritz Kop, a fellow and visiting scholar at Stanford University together have written an article appearing in Foreign Policy warning that quantum computing must not repeat the mistakes made by refusing to regulate AI. The article is lengthy with in-depth explanation of each of the authors’ concerns.  Quantum News Briefs summarizes below.
The world must not repeat the mistakes it made by refusing to regulate AI—where regulatory failure has given the world algorithmic bias that hypercharges human prejudices, social media that favors conspiracy theories, and attacks on the institutions of democracy fueled by AI-generated fake news and social media posts. The dangers lie in the machine’s ability to make decisions autonomously, with flaws in the computer code resulting in unanticipated, often detrimental, outcomes. In 2021, the quantum community issued a call for action to urgently address these concerns. In addition, critical public and private intellectual property on quantum-enabling technologies must be protected from theft and abuse by the United States’ adversaries.
To avoid the ethical problems that went so horribly wrong with AI and machine learning, democratic nations need to institute controls that both correspond to the power of the technology as well as respect democratic values, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. Governments must urgently begin to think about regulations, standards, and responsible uses—and learn from the way countries handled or mishandled other revolutionary technologies, including AI, nanotechnology, biotechnology, semiconductors, and nuclear fission. The United States and other democratic nations must not make the same mistake they made with AI—and prepare for tomorrow’s quantum era today.

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Researchers report an experimental demonstration of a space-to-ground quantum key distribution (QKD) network using a compact QKD terminal aboard the Chinese Space Lab Tiangong-2 and four ground stations according to Science Daily. The new QKD system is less than half the weight of the system the researchers developed for the Micius satellite, which was used to perform the world’s first quantum-encrypted virtual teleconference. Quantum News Briefs summarizes the announcement below.
The demonstration represents an important step toward practical QKD based on constellations of small satellites, a setup considered one of the most promising routes to creating a global quantum communication network.
“QKD offers unconditional security by using single photons to encode information between two distant terminals,” said research team member Cheng-Zhi Peng from the University of Science and Technology of China. “The compact system we developed can reduce the cost of implementing QKD by making it possible to use small satellites.”mThey also found that QKD performance can be boosted by building a network of satellites orbiting at different angles, or inclinations, in relation to the equator.
“Our new work demonstrates the feasibility of a space-ground QKD network based on a compact satellite payload combined with constellations of satellites with different orbit types,” said Peng.

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