The role of hype in the future of quantum technology

Hype plays a role in the development and growth of new technologies. It can help in generating attention, narratives and vision on such technologies, but it can also lead to disappointment or loss of thrust. The field of quantum technology is relatively young, but the number of startups and national agenda’s grows. Quantum technologies and their development pose questions in terms of their social, legal,  and ethical implications.

In this Lorentz Workshop, we aim to further understand the role of hype, especially related  to the ethical, legal and societal aspects of quantum technology. We explore the boundary  between ‘good’ or ‘healthy’ hype, and red flags when crossing the line. We aim to develop a  self-reflection tool on hype for the exploration of future scenarios of quantum technology.

Central focus of this workshop
We will explore the role of hype of quantum  technology in the ethical, legal and societal aspects of quantum technology.

Key questions the workshop will address are

• What are the ethical, legal and societal functions of hype?
• What is the role of hype in the ethical, legal and societal aspects of quantum technologies?
• Which conditions should claims and narrative meet to count as ‘healthy’ forms of hype, and what are red flags? Specifically, what hype is healthy for communication between researchers and the  public, what hype is healthy for ethical analysis of quantum technology and what limitations on  hype follow from relevant law and in policy contexts related to quantum technology?
• Can hype be contextualized by relating them to the functions actors and organizations have in the development of quantum technology, and how does the ‘healthiness’ of hype depend on these  functions?

Program
We structure the program in such a way that there is space to focus on all aspects of hype  from the ethical, legal and societal perspectives. To make sure that the participants can add  their expertise as well as their open vision on other topics, we split the week in different  themes. The program allows for different aspects that all add to the goals of the week: social  and informal gatherings, group work in small groups, guided plenary discussions and talks by  senior experts as well as by young researchers. We find it especially important that there is  space and time for exchange and interaction between people from different disciplines and  with different research interests to enhance future collaborations.

Participants
This workshop approaches an inherently interdisciplinary problem, therefore, we invite an  interdisciplinary group of people. During this workshop our aim is to invite people that do interdisciplinary research on quantum science and technology  and/or work on the ethical, legal or societal aspects of new technologies. We aim for diversity  in the broad sense; diverse research backgrounds, diverse career stages, as well as diversity  in nationality and gender. Furthermore, we will not only invite academics, for a broader view  on the topics and future needs.