QM-E Workshop 2022

On the 27^th of October 2022, the Quantum Meta-Ethics (QM-E) Project held a workshop on emerging quantum technologies and their ethical implications for war, peace, security, and civil society. The workshop was jointly organised by the Centre for International Security Studies (CISS) at the University of Sydney and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), and took place at the CYFY2022 conference in New Delhi. Dr Jayson Waters travelled to New Delhi as the CISS delegate, and the recordings of the workshop have been edited into a short documentary. The documentary can be viewed here.

This workshop was an integral part of QM-E Project. The QM-E Project is run in partnership between CISS and the ORF – and this partnership is funded and supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership. Through the QM-E Project, CISS and ORF are working together to understand quantum technologies, their potential implications for humanity, and to translate these findings into practice by developing comprehensive ethical frameworks for the development and deployment of quantum technologies. Additionally, the QM-E Project is a continuation of Project Q, which is an interdisciplinary investigation into quantum mechanics funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

The workshop documentary features experts from a diverse range of quantum subfields and specialisations, and explores India’s position in the global quantum industry and the race for quantum supremacy. Delving into the ethical considerations surrounding this rapidly evolving industry – and drawing comparisons with other transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence and nuclear power – the documentary explores concerns regarding growing techno-economic inequality and the need to prevent quantum technologies from exacerbating global inequality, insecurity, and instability. Providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of the quantum industry and the potential societal impacts of quantum technologies, this documentary is essential viewing for anyone interested in the future of technology and its potential consequences for the world.