Technology companies will be in for a bumpy ride in the second Trump Administration. President-elect Trump has promised to adopt policies that will accelerate the United States’ technological decoupling from China. However, he will likely take a more hands-off approach to regulating artificial intelligence and reverse several Biden Administration policies related to AI and other emerging technologies.Continue Reading Tech Policy in a Second Trump Administration: AI Promotion and Further Decoupling from China
Federal Agencies Continue Implementation of AI Executive Order
With Congress in summer recess and state legislative sessions waning, the Biden Administration continues to implement its October 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (“EO”). On July 26, the White House announced a series of federal agency actions under the EO for managing AI safety and security risks, hiring AI talent in the government workforce, promoting AI innovation, and advancing US global AI leadership. On the same day, the Department of Commerce released new guidance on AI red-team testing, secure AI software development, generative AI risk management, and a plan for promoting and developing global AI standards. These announcements—which the White House emphasized were on time within the 270-day deadline set by the EO—mark the latest in a series of federal agency activities to implement the EO.Continue Reading Federal Agencies Continue Implementation of AI Executive Order
Quantum Computing: Developments in the UK and US
This update focuses on how growing quantum sector investment in the UK and US is leading to the development and commercialization of quantum computing technologies with the potential to revolutionize and disrupt key sectors. This is a fast-growing area that is seeing significant levels of public and private investment activity. We take a look at how approaches differ in the UK and US, and discuss how a concerted, international effort is needed both to realize the full potential of quantum technologies and to mitigate new risks that may arise as the technology matures.
Quantum Computing
Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics principles to solve certain complex mathematical problems faster than classical computers. Whilst classical computers use binary “bits” to perform calculations, quantum computers use quantum bits (“qubits”). The value of a bit can only be zero or one, whereas a qubit can exist as zero, one, or a combination of both states (a phenomenon known as superposition) allowing quantum computers to solve certain problems exponentially faster than classical computers.
The applications of quantum technologies are wide-ranging and quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize many sectors, including life-sciences, climate and weather modelling, financial portfolio management and artificial intelligence (“AI”). However, advances in quantum computing may also lead to some risks, the most significant being to data protection. Hackers could exploit the ability of quantum computing to solve complex mathematical problems at high speeds to break currently used cryptography methods and access personal and sensitive data.
This is a rapidly developing area that governments are only just turning their attention to. Governments are focusing not just on “quantum-readiness” and countering the emerging threats that quantum computing will present in the hands of bad actors (the US, for instance, is planning the migration of sensitive data to post-quantum encryption), but also on ramping up investment and growth in quantum technologies. Continue Reading Quantum Computing: Developments in the UK and US