New technologies are often viewed as gateways to unprecedented opportunities. Quantum computing, which leverages the properties of quantum mechanics to enhance computing efficiency and data processing capacity, holds great potential for fields ranging from drug discovery to machine learning. Space programmes generate scientific findings beyond astronomical observations, with important breakthroughs for basic science and applications in medicine, geology, and water systems among others.
However, these fields also pose risks — not just for the future, but already in the present. Despite their varying levels of maturity, ethical concerns have emerged, highlighting the need for proactive scientific oversight. Despite quantum computing’s infancy and varying ethical concerns across space missions, the global scientific community must act proactively. Developing robust moral and legal frameworks is crucial to govern these technologies and prevent potential crises like “QDay”[1] or extraterrestrial biohazards[2].
For instance, quantum computing cybercrimes like “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” are a current form of “retroactive attack”; cyberhackers currently store high-value traditionally encrypted data with the expectation that they will be able to decrypt them once quantum computing is possible.[3] This endangers not only governments, but also researchers and scientific labs using encryption to protect sensitive data and findings. The same is true with the astro-environmental implications of space debris where present-day ethical and safety concerns could escalate without timed intervention.
With this in mind, the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) met in Paris in September 2024 for deliberations on the ethics of quantum computing and outer space. Since 1998, ISC representation at COMEST has been committed to bringing the voice of researchers from social and natural sciences to bear on these crucial discussions. After September’s session, groups were formed to draft reports on quantum computing ethics and space ethics. The publication of these reports in the coming months, as has been the case for other emerging technologies could lay down the foundations for UNESCO future ethics recommendations.
During the public meetings participants went beyond the ethical concerns of the applications themselves; they advocated for a global commons approach [4] to quantum computing and the exploration of outer space. This framework aims to protect the rights of the entire scientific community, not only to benefit from, but also participate in, scientific research and development. As attendees highlighted, this approach is based on ethical principles of fairness and solidarity, and their violation in science and technology has multiple implications.
The absence of universal epistemic access to space and quantum computers fosters new dependencies among countries and their researchers, influencing local scientific capacity-building and potentially intensifying asymmetric power dynamics. As emphasized by COMEST members in September, international scientific collaboration and a global commons framework for emerging technologies address these challenges while also upholding fairness and solidarity principles. Nevertheless, it seems that countries are pursuing a different track, relying on private actors and calling for technological sovereignty. From the EU to India and Saudi Arabia, the development of quantum computing technologies and the space industry are increasingly linked to national security – a reflection of the unstable geopolitical climate of the post-COVID era. This presents a dual challenge to science and technology: countries without sufficient resources may fall further behind as the gap with wealthier economies widens. Meanwhile, the latter’s move towards private actors could not only lead to a shift from public to commercial interests, but may interfere with initiatives by the larger research community, as has been the case for space activities.
Involving a limited club of countries and private actors in quantum computing development and outer space missions not only violates key principles of fairness and solidarity but also distorts scientific achievements by neglecting significant applications. The recent launch of African satellites into orbit highlights how space-dedicated resources on the continent are being directed to address climate change challenges. Thus, as the costs of participation in outer space continue to drop, a democratized approach enables unique priorities to emerge between nations. We could expect similar outcomes with cost reduction of quantum computing research. Adopting a global commons approach to emerging technologies, as suggested during the public meetings last September taking place at UNESCO headquarters, would not only promote the equitable distribution of the benefits of science but also global ownership of knowledge. This paradigm shift is essential for fostering scientific creativity and envisions a more open system for knowledge-building in quantum computing and outer space, while also introducing important implications for governance and accessibility. As the case of African satellites exemplifies, scientific and technological innovation is greatly enriched by diversity of background and ambitions. The more people can contribute, the more potential and applications can be developed.
Global science stands to lose significantly from the absence of democratic and diverse approaches to scientific research. Establishing a universal ethics-based framework to navigate and guide programmes in quantum computing and outer space exploration cannot be delayed. In the coming months, through COMEST and other channels, the ISC aims to foster debates on these topics among the scientific community and the policy world.
[1] “QDay” or Quantum Day refers to the hypothetical future moment when quantum computers will become powerful enough to break current encryption methods.
[2] Extra-terrestrial biohazards refer to possible harmful contamination of biological organisms imported
(voluntarily or involuntarily) to the Earth from the outer space and its celestial bodies. See: Biological safety in the context of backward planetary protection and Mars Sample Return: conclusions from the Sterilization Working Group | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core or Planetary Protection
[3] See OECD document by the Working Party on Security in the Digital Economy for more information.
[4] Global commons approach usually refer to the strategies and principles to manage shared resources, particularly natural resources like oceans, antarctica, airspace and outer space which are the four recognized global commons by international treaties. This approach entails embracing principles among which international collaboration, shared standards and regulation, open knowledge sharing. The application of this term to technologies is contested and under development, like in the case of the cyberspace.
Image by Anton Maksimov 5642.su on Unsplash.
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