quantum computing and journalistic bias (Part 1)
In these series of articles I will be exploring articles on quantum computing from a variety of different sources, and showing how no one really knows the future, and to read everything you see with a grain of salt.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at an article by Martin Giles from the MIT Technology review!
Quantum computing could allow for a newer, safer internet,
MIT Technology Review
News Analysis piece
Recently, scientists have discovered a theoretical method of processing data through quantum computing that may prove this technology to be even more powerful than previously thought. Through using quantum tris (qutrits for short), a novel way of packing quantum information into three rather than two possible states, one can effectively double the data processing capacity prior researchers had believed quantum computing could achieve. Giles in this article takes the position that quantum computing has the potential to be a major leap in the right direction for cyber security. Because of a principle called ‘quantum entanglement’, the data that is being sent across the internet is very volatile. Quantum entanglement essentially entails a phenomenon in which a pair or group of particles interact in a way that the quantum state of each particle cannot be explained or shown to be independent of the state of other particles, even when these particles are miles apart, or even on opposite ends of the globe. Like a ‘house of cards’, when quantum particles become entangled, it becomes impossible to move any of the ‘cards’ (particles) without the entire house crashing down.. In a data sense, Giles points out, that means that anything, even the act of opening the data file can shift the quantum entanglement from its original state. This means that hackers can no longer snoop on data flowing across the internet without both the sender and recipient knowing about it, as it would show evidence of tampering, even if the hackers had changed nothing in the file. Giles argues that if “qutrits can be harnessed at scale, they could form the backbone of an ultra-secure quantum internet that could be used to send highly sensitive government and commercial data.” Giles further strengthens his position by showing that this has actually been tested on an international scale, where the encryption keys for a file were made with a quantum computer, and sent through the internet. Any attempt that hackers made to snoop on the encryption, let alone crack it, were immediately detected, and reported. Giles takes the position that an ultra-secure internet like this would make the internet a significantly safer place, while helping it retain the anonymity and freedom that helped make it as popular as it is today. Similar to most of the documents and articles surrounding quantum computing at the moment, the intended audience for Giles’s article is both nonspecialist scientists who have an interest in quantum computing, or quantum enthusiasts outside of the scientific community. The purpose of this article is largely to expose the reader to the novel concepts of qutrits and quantum entanglement, as these are still controversial and actively being explored by the scientific community. Given that to date neither of these concepts has made any practical impact on the average person’s life, most readers will not be familiar with Gilles’s discussion on these matters which have not yet entered the public debate.
Through the author’s work, we, the reader, come to understand that no one really knows what quantum computing will mean for the real world, all while this technology descends on society with scarily fast speed. The text’s argument that quantum entanglement candeter hackers is backed by a small body of scientific evidence, yet it has been tested only with conventional methods of hacking. When we look at traditional hacking, the way it is done is by inserting malicious code into a computer, which then exploits a weakness in your operating system, and subsequently “takes over” your machine. Quantum hacking, however, because of the inherent architecture of a quantum computer, may work in an entirely different way. Giles’s assumption is predicated on the idea that hackers will only use conventional methods of hacking, which knowing the history of computing is unlikely to happen. For example, because the quantum state is so volatile, it would be incredibly easy for a hacker to use the data disruption elicited by the entanglement effect to use their snooping on a file to render that file’s information illegible once it reaches its target. Sadly, there really is no real world data available yet on the hackability of quantum computers compared to regular ones, as there are very few such quantum devices in this world at the moment. Thus, while Giles most certainly has a point, there is no telling if quantum computers will actually be any safer than conventional computers.
Giles’s position on quantum entanglement in computers is significantly different from other sources, as he spins the idea in a positive way, taking the position that this phenomenon is not highly problematic. When looking at the opinions of other writers on quantum entanglement, they are largely negative. Quantum entanglement, while having the possibility of being a force for good, also could in principle pose a major security risk to anyone who switches to quantum computing, specifically the threat of quantum terrorism (something that is further described below). A large majority of these authors take a less favorable view towards quantum computing, either wishing to ban it outright, or to regulate it into oblivion. Giles does not elaborate on the ethics of quantum computing as a whole. Rather, he largely limits himself to comments on the current state of research and its scientific controversies.
Source: Giles, Martin. “A Super-Secure Quantum Internet Just Took Another Step Closer to Reality.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 22 Aug. 2019. Web. 12/8/19. www.technologyreview.com/f/614209/a-super-secure-quantum-internet-just-took-another-step-closer-to-reality/.
