No matter how much technology advances, if society doesn’t evolve with it, the change will be as disruptive as it is dangerous.
Quantum computing is a fascinating promise. A silent revolution that is advancing, still in labs and research centers, but could radically alter the way we understand knowledge, security, the economy, and even science in just a few years.
This is not just another evolution, like the shift from fax to email or from hard drives to cloud storage. No. We are talking about a total break with the binary logic that has built our entire digital world. And the most unsettling part is not whether we will achieve it —because we will— but whether we will be ready for what comes next.
The Power of Qubits
Unlike current computers, which process information in zeros and ones, quantum computing relies on qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously thanks to principles like superposition and entanglement. The result? Machines capable of calculating in seconds what today would take thousands of years. Modeling new molecules, optimizing global logistics networks, or simulating the actual quantum physics of the universe will no longer be impossible.
Impressive? Without a doubt. Dangerous? Yes.
A Double-Edged Sword
The same quantum computer that can cure incurable diseases can also break the encryption systems protecting data of governments, banks, and citizens around the world. A large part of our modern cybersecurity is based on mathematical problems that are difficult to solve… for classical computers. But quantum computers will play in a different league. This necessitates a parallel race to develop quantum-resistant cryptography, and we are not sure we are ahead.
Moreover, unequal access to this technology could widen the global technological gap even further. If only a few countries or companies control operational quantum computers, economic and political power could become even more concentrated, eroding the technological sovereignty of many nations.
Are We Ready for Such a Leap?
The short answer is no. Neither from an educational, regulatory, nor philosophical standpoint. Few governments have started to legislate on the ethical uses of quantum computing. Universities are barely incorporating comprehensive programs in this discipline. And most of society is not even aware of what is coming.
We need to prepare now. We must train new professional profiles, review legal frameworks of intellectual property, strengthen international cooperation, and anticipate its economic impacts. But we must also ask ourselves about the more subtle effects: what happens if quantum artificial intelligence becomes autonomous? How does our conception of time or chance change when we can simulate the future with unprecedented precision?
Adaptation or Disruption
History has taught us that every major technological revolution changes the world faster than people, businesses, or governments can assimilate. This happened with the printing press, with electricity, and with the internet. Quantum computing will be no different, but its effects could be deeper and less reversible.
This is not a moment to fear, but to act with vision. Invest in research, educate society, design inclusive and secure technologies. Because, in the end, the question is not whether quantum computing will arrive, but whether we will be prepared to live in the world it leaves behind.