Often, when new technology arrives, the focus is on its promise. It's only later that we understand the unintended consequences. As the great-granddaughter of a slave born on a Mississippi plantation, with a long career dedicated to women's rights and health, I know how important it is to speak up for those whose voices too often go unheard. I've seen how the norms established by a privileged few can lead to abuse and gross injustices. Withholding knowledge has distorted access to education, healthcare, and voting rights, to name a few. This should not happen with quantum computing, the next great advance in human knowledge. We need to safeguard its potential power and promise for the good of everyone.
There are few areas of research and engineering more exciting and important than quantum computing (QC) because of its potential to help solve some of humanity's most intractable challenges. Quantum computers, if built to sufficient scale, will harness immense computational muscle to process large amounts of data exponentially faster than today's supercomputers. Imagine QC turbo-charging research into therapies and cures for diseases, finding solutions for combating climate change, and advancing the science of food production, mineral exploration, and manufacturing methodologies. This emerging technology will be as revolutionary as gene and atom splitting.
