It's quite amazing to me that actually sci-fi is capturing so much earlier and is using nomenclature
that then we adopt in science. We could name teleportation something else. I mean, we know
teleportation from Star Trek, right? "Beam me up, Scotty." That's not what we are doing here.
Alright you mutinous, disloyal, computerized half-breed. We'll see about you deserting my ship.
Since the puppy is complaining, this is Qubit and he arrived home a few days ago.
So if you hear cooing and willing, this is him.
With quantum teleportation and networks of quantum devices, we can achieve progress,
both in scientific exploration, in matters of fundamental physics, but also we can develop the so-called
"quantum internet," which is being seen as an application that would ensure much more secure
communications than the normal internet that we have now.
We envisioned that we could build systems in order to put at work the experimental demonstrations
that we had from 20 years ago, and have systems engineering and systems integration, so that we can
actually present a prototype of a quantum internet.
When we talk about quantum, we mean very precise, right? So once you arrive at very precise measurements,
beyond the classical precision, let's say, that we can achieve with devices that have been developed
in the 20th century, then you are arriving in the quantum realm. So quantum imaging for medicine
might be one of the first and most important applications.
You can have magnetometers, quantum magnetometers inside the cells that do mapping
and get information in vivo and imaging in vivo with quantum imaging, that is unprecedented.
And yep, it would be a revolution. But, adiabatically, you will start using it without even knowing it.
I mean, you're not going to have a quantum computer on your desk, but maybe when you log in on your bank,
there would be some quantum encryption system, so that there's no intercepts and nobody
can get your information.
But first we have to build quantum computers.
In other words, there is a direct path of thinking, "Well, computers today, they have so many transistors
in a small chip that now we are reaching at the atomic level, or the quantum level, of how we build them,
and the power is huge that they consume. And so you have to find other ways to do computation.
So, that's a straightforward argument of an application that you can map from the past on how we're going
to use all these quantum systems in the future.
Fifty years ago, we didn't predict that you could have this propagation of misinformation on the internet at
this level, where society is formed now based on the information there. And so, if you imagine quantum
information, that is a superposition of a lot of information, then one can sit down and think about the societal impact.
And there are people who are making proposals in order to bring also these other disciplines together,
in order to think this through.
In the history of the development of science and technology, we had to think about the power
of nuclear physics, not just as an experiment where we write a scientific paper, but how it's used.
Same thing with the Human Genome Project and now with CRISPR.
And same thing with artificial intelligence. There is an unfiltered, unthought-through way of
how much of the technology is needed, for what reasons, whether we use frivolously technology?
In other words, if I want to have an AI and call a drone to bring me a cup of coffee, is this something
that we really need? Or is this frivolous use of a lot of tools that we have developed with
science and technology?
As we are in the 21st century, after the incredible renaissance of science and technology of the
20th century, considering all the human civilization and how we develop, I think it's important to
think through the impact on humanity. So that we don't proceed on paths that
can bring us in trouble. And at every step of the way, we take it for granted that it should be that way.