Quantum for good through a lens of technosolutionism
A critical-constructive view
Eline de Jong (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Clare Shelley-Egan (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
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Abstract
‘Quantum for Good’ (Q4G) has emerged as a guiding rationale for quantum technology development, emphasising its potential to address societal challenges and serve the public good. Through this normative ambition, Q4G echoes the language of responsible innovation. At the same time, using technology to address complex social problems has been critiqued as ‘technosolutionism’—the belief that technology is an effective means to solve non-technological problems. In this paper, we examine whether and how this critique applies to Q4G. We adopt a principally neutral perspective on technosolutionism, recognising both the potential and limits of technological solutions, and use this as a critical-constructive lens to assess the normative underpinnings of Q4G. Specifically, we develop a set of guiding questions to scrutinise the ethical dimensions of proposed technosolutions and apply this framework to Q4G. We argue that, to live up to its commitment to societal good and to avoid becoming a legitimising narrative for existing innovation agendas or reducing complex issues to technological challenges, Q4G must remain attentive to the ethical and sociopolitical dimensions of the problems it targets and the solutions it advances.
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