Artificiële Intelligentie & Recht
Innovation, Quantum-AI Technology & Law
0

Blog over Kunstmatige Intelligentie, Quantum, Deep Learning, Blockchain en Big Data Law

Blog over juridische, sociale, ethische en policy aspecten van Kunstmatige Intelligentie, Quantum Computing, Sensing & Communication, Augmented Reality en Robotica, Big Data Wetgeving en Machine Learning Regelgeving. Kennisartikelen inzake de EU AI Act, de Data Governance Act, cloud computing, algoritmes, privacy, virtual reality, blockchain, robotlaw, smart contracts, informatierecht, ICT contracten, online platforms, apps en tools. Europese regels, auteursrecht, chipsrecht, databankrechten en juridische diensten AI recht.

EU AI Act Compliance for Global Enterprises: The Daiki Solution for Mandatory AI Governance
EU AI Act Compliance for Global Enterprises: The Daiki Solution for Mandatory AI Governance

The European Union's AI Act has crossed the line from proposal to binding law, and its phased rollout is now an active clock rather than a distant horizon. Daiki, the AI and quantum governance company co-founded by Mauritz Kop, has published an account of what mandatory AI governance demands of global enterprises—and how an integrated, standards-based platform can convert that obligation into a strategic advantage.

A calendar that has already started

The Act entered into force on August 1, 2024. The prohibition on unacceptable-risk practices took effect in February 2025; obligations for general-purpose AI models began in August 2025; and full application—conformity assessments, CE marking, EU-database registration, post-market monitoring for high-risk systems—arrives on August 2, 2026, with a final grace period for regulated-product components running to 2027. Because the Act binds any provider whose systems reach the EU market or whose outputs are used within it, its reach is extraterritorial: a firm headquartered in New York or Singapore is squarely within scope, and penalties of up to €35 million or 7% of worldwide turnover make non-compliance a board-level risk.

The pyramid of criticality

The Act's organizing idea is a risk-based pyramid: unacceptable-risk practices are banned; high-risk systems—reaching common enterprise uses in hiring, credit scoring, and critical infrastructure—carry the heaviest lifecycle obligations; limited-risk systems owe transparency; and minimal-risk applications attract no new mandates. The Daiki solution operationalizes that structure, classifying each system through a rules engine aligned with the Act's definitions and Annex III, then triggering a workflow proportionate to its tier, with every action logged to an auditable evidence trail. Its architecture is anchored in ISO/IEC 42001, bridged to the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and bounded throughout by deliberate human oversight—mirroring the Act's own Article 14.

A risk-based reading with a documented lineage

The post's central reading—that a risk-based regime rewards organizations able to prove their governance—has a clear history in Kop's scholarship. As Mauritz Kop's record of work shows, his 2021 analysis of the EU AI Act anticipated the four-tier architecture that is now law, and the same logic carries across the Atlantic to California's compute-threshold approach for frontier models. For general counsel and compliance leaders, the practical takeaway is consistent: build one coherent, standards-based governance system now—rather than a reactive checklist per statute—and the era of enforcement will reward exactly the discipline the era of voluntary principles merely recommended. Mandatory AI governance, as the post observes, is here to stay; the enterprises that treat it as design rather than damage control will be the trusted artificial intelligence leaders of the regulated decade ahead.

Meer lezen
Artificial Intelligence, European Law, GovernanceMauritz KopMauritz Kop, AI, Regulation, Policy, Governance, Standards, Daiki, EU AI Act, AI Governance, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, Brussels Effect, Risk-Based Regulation, Frontier AI
Mauritz Kop gives Quantum Governance Seminar at G7 Think Tank CIGI, the Centre for International Governance Innovation
Mauritz Kop gives Quantum Governance Seminar at G7 Think Tank CIGI, the Centre for International Governance Innovation

Honoured to give a Quantum Governance seminar this Monday at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a leading non-partisan G7 think tank based in Waterloo. We’ll address a critical question: Are our governance frameworks ready for Quantum-AI? https://www.cigionline.org/events/responsible-quantum-ai-governance-from-ethical-principles-to-global-frameworks/

We are approaching a metaphorical ‘Quantum Event Horizon’—an inflection point, or quantum governance ‘tipping point’ beyond which our ability to steer advanced quantum technology and AI towards beneficial societal outcomes, may be lost. In a geopolitical context defined by a winner-takes-all race for the keys to the world’s operating system, the stakes could not be higher. This issue is at the heart of CIGI’s project on the guidance of emerging dual-use technologies.

Responsible Quantum AI Governance: From Ethical Principles to Global Frameworks

My lecture, titled ‘Responsible Quantum AI Governance: From Ethical Principles to Global Frameworks’ explores why traditional governance and quantum diplomacy are not enough to address systemic rivalry and human-machine control problems. Instead, it requires planetary-level thinking and a fundamental shift from reactive oversight to novel paradigms of architectural control. The work builds on ideas we first explored in 'Ethics in the Quantum Age' (Physics World) and 'Establishing a Legal-Ethical Framework for Quantum Technology' (Yale Journal of Law & Technology).

Multi-layered governance strategy

I will make the case for a multi-layered governance strategy. In addition to hardwiring universal values into the technology itself via Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI, we need robust global legal frameworks and oversight bodies ensuring non-proliferation of dual-use quantum-AI technologies via safeguards implementation (inspired by nuclear governance), including the creation of an 'Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI' and a new international treaty to constitute a ‘Quantum Acquis Planétaire’, or 'Global Quantum Acquis'. This dual approach is grounded in the principles of responsible quantum innovation we've outlined in recent publications with Nature, Harvard Law, Stanford Law, and the Institute of Physics.

I will conclude my talk with emphasizing that building a safe and equitable quantum future requires unprecedented international collaboration, drawing inspiration from successful large-scale scientific cooperation models like CERN and ITER. Now is the critical window for the international community to design and build these innovative governance structures, steering the immense power of quantum science towards beneficial outcomes for all of humanity.

We hope you can join what promises to be a vital discussion.

Meer lezen
Academics, ConferenceMauritz KopCIGI, Seminar, Quantum Governance, Mauritz Kop, G7
Quantum Event Horizon: Addressing the Quantum-AI Control Problem through Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI
Quantum Event Horizon: Addressing the Quantum-AI Control Problem through Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI

What happens when AI becomes not just superintelligent, but quantum-superintelligent? QAI agents with both classical and quantum capabilities? How do we ensure we remain in control?

This is the central question of my new article, where I introduce the concept of the Quantum Event Horizon to frame the urgency of the QAI control problem. As we near this point of no return, the risk of losing control to misaligned systems—machines taking over or seeing them weaponized—becomes acute.

A metaphorical Quantum Event Horizon can be thought of as an inflection point, or quantum governance 'tipping point' beyond which our ability to steward advanced quantum technology and AI towards beneficial outcomes for all of humanity, may vanish.

Simple guardrails are not enough. The solution must be architectural. I propose a new paradigm: Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI, a method for engineering our core values into the foundation of QAI itself. This is a crucial discussion for policymakers, researchers, builders, and industry leaders.

Navigating the Quantum Event Horizon

This paper addresses the impending control problem posed by the synthesis of quantum computing and artificial intelligence (QAI). It posits that the emergence of potentially superintelligent QAI agents creates a governance challenge that is fundamentally different from and more acute than those posed by classical AI. Traditional solutions focused on technical alignment are necessary but insufficient for the novel risks and capabilities of QAI. The central thesis is that navigating this challenge requires a paradigm shift from reactive oversight to proactive, upfront constitutional design.

The core of the argument is framed by the concept of the ‘Quantum Event Horizon’—a metaphorical boundary beyond which the behavior, development, and societal impact of QAI become computationally opaque and practically impossible to predict or control using conventional methods. Drawing on the Collingridge dilemma and the Copenhagen interpretation, this concept highlights the risk of a "point of no return," where technological lock-in, spurred by a "ChatGPT moment" for quantum, could cement irreversible geopolitical realities, empower techno-authoritarianism, and present an unmanageable control problem (the risk of machines taking over). Confronting this requires a new philosophy for governing non-human intelligence.

Machines Taking Over

The urgency is magnified by a stark geopolitical context, defined by a Tripartite Dilemma between the existential safety concerns articulated by figures like Geoffrey Hinton, the geopolitical security imperative for rapid innovation voiced by Eric Schmidt, and the builder’s need to balance progress with safety, as expressed by Demis Hassabis. This dilemma is enacted through competing global innovation models: the permissionless, market-driven US system; the state-led, top-down Chinese system; and the values-first, deliberative EU model. In this winner-takes-all race, the first actor to achieve a decisive QAI breakthrough could permanently shape global norms and our way of life.

An Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI

Given these stakes, current control paradigms like human-in-the-loop oversight are inadequate. The speed and complexity of QAI render direct human control impossible, a practical manifestation of crossing the Quantum Event Horizon. Therefore, governance must be multi-layered, integrating societal and institutional frameworks. This includes establishing an "Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI" for international oversight and promoting Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) by Design, guided by principles such as those outlined in our '10 Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation' article. These frameworks must be led by robust public governance—as corporate self-regulation is insufficient due to misaligned incentives—and must address the distributive justice imperative to prevent a "Quantum Divide."

Towards Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI

The cornerstone of our proposed solution is Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI. This approach argues that if we cannot control a QAI agent tactically, we must constrain it architecturally. It builds upon the concept of Constitutional AI by designing a core set of ethical and safety principles (a 'constitution') that are not merely trained into the model but are formally verified and made robust against both classical and quantum-algorithmic exploitation. By hardwiring this quantum-secure constitution into the agent's core, we can create a form of verifiable, built-in control that is more likely to endure as the agent's intelligence scales.

Self-Aware Quantum-AI Agents

Looking toward more speculative futures, the potential for a Human-AI Merger or the emergence of a QAI Hive Mind—a networked, non-human consciousness enabled by quantum entanglement—represents the ultimate challenge and the final crossing of the Quantum Event Horizon. The foundational governance work we do today, including projects like Quantum-ELSPI, is the essential precursor to navigating these profound transformations.

In conclusion, this paper argues that for the European Union, proactively developing and implementing a framework centered on Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI is not just a defensive measure against existential risk. It is a strategic necessity to ensure that the most powerful technology in human history develops in alignment with democratic principles, securing the EU’s role as a global regulatory leader in the 21st century.

Meer lezen
Artificial Intelligence, Guardrails, Quantum Technology, Quantum ELSPI, Quantum-AIMauritz KopQuantum-AI, Control Problem, Quantum-Resistant Constitutional AI, Quantum Event Horizon, Ethics, Law, Geopolitics, Democracy versus Authoritarianism, Abundance, Dual Use, Quantum-AI agents, Machine Consciousness, QAI Hive Mind, Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI, Towards A European Quantum Act, Quantum Acquis Planétaire
A Principled Approach to Quantum Technology: The Stanford RQT Framework and Its Ten Principles
A Principled Approach to Quantum Technology: The Stanford RQT Framework and Its Ten Principles

Quantum hardware is advancing faster than the rules meant to govern it. In A Principled Approach to Quantum Technologies (posted as a preprint on SSRN), Mauritz Kop—Founder of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology—surveys the 2024–2025 wave of breakthroughs from Google, IBM, D-Wave, Quantinuum, and Microsoft, and argues that the governance gap should be closed now, through the Stanford RQT framework and its Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation, rather than by waiting for comprehensive regulation.

Capability is outpacing governance

The paper reads the hardware moment carefully: Google's 105-qubit Willow crossing the below-threshold error-correction milestone; IBM's modular roadmap; D-Wave's 4,400-plus-qubit Advantage2 and its 2025 supremacy claim on a materials-simulation problem; Quantinuum and Microsoft's progress on logical qubits; and Microsoft's Majorana 1 topological chip, presented as a scientific advance still facing real scaling challenges. The trajectory—rising capability across computing, simulation, sensing, networking, and quantum/AI hybrids—is what makes governance urgent, because the field still lacks unified interoperability standards, certification, benchmarking, and quantum-ready quality-management systems.

Quantum-ELSPI and dual use

The governance frame is Quantum-ELSPI: the ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy implications of quantum technology. Because second-generation quantum systems directly harness superposition, entanglement, and tunneling, their dual-use character is acute—quantum simulation can yield vaccines or weapons, sensors can serve the environment or surveillance—and a sufficiently capable machine could break today's encryption, making preparation for "Q-day" through post-quantum cryptography and NIST standards a present-tense task. The paper draws an explicit lesson from nuclear technology—society justifies medical and energy uses while doing little about the destructive extreme—an asymmetry quantum governance should not repeat. The deeper lessons come from a community Kop helped build, surveyed in the second annual Stanford Responsible Quantum Technology Conference.

The RQT framework and SEA

The constructive answer is Responsible Quantum Technology, operationalized through Ten Principles organized under safeguarding, engaging, and advancing (SEA) quantum technologies, society, and humankind—the aim being to safeguard society through advancing quantum technology, a responsible but pro-innovation stance. The framework also folds in the four dimensions of Responsible Research and Innovation—anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness—and treats regulation as a balancing act, invoking the Collingridge dilemma to argue for anticipatory governance before the technology becomes locked in. Absent formal regulation beyond security and export controls, stakeholders are urged to adopt self-regulatory quantum-technology-assessment tools to monitor, validate, and audit applications across their life cycle—an approach the paper frames as both a public good and a first-mover advantage. Kop developed this institutional home as the center's founder, whose launch at Stanford set the agenda the paper now systematizes. Its governing maxim—quantum R&D kept "as open as possible, and as closed as necessary"—frames a deliberate path through the current regulatory vacuum.

Meer lezen
Quantum Technology, Ethics, InnovationHenry QuentirMauritz Kop, Stanford RQT, Quantum Technology, Quantum Governance, Ethics, Quantum-ELSPI, Standards, Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, Governance, Innovation, Responsible Quantum Technology, Ten Principles, SEA, Willow, Majorana 1, Post-Quantum Cryptography, Q-Day, Quantum-AI
Music Law and Artificial Intelligence: From Cloned Artists to AI-Generated Works
Music Law and Artificial Intelligence: From Cloned Artists to AI-Generated Works

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the music industry is sparking a revolution, profoundly changing how music is created. This development raises complex legal questions concerning AI and copyright, including related rights. How can we protect the creative rights of artists and composers while simultaneously allowing room for technological innovation? In this comprehensive yet accessible legal overview, we explore key issues regarding AI and music. These include whether AI can legally train on copyrighted materials without consent, TDM exceptions, how various rights organizations (such as Buma/Stemra and Sena) approach AI, the status of AI-generated musical works, the threshold of human creativity required, protection against AI voice cloning via privacy laws and moral rights, contractual implications, new obligations under the EU AI Act, differences between European and American law, and ongoing lawsuits. This article is tailored for artists, composers, music publishers, labels, voice actors, producers, and AI companies seeking clarity on their legal standing.

AI Training on Protected Music and Video Materials: Legal Framework and Debate

Can an AI model in the Netherlands and the EU train on copyrighted material (such as music or video) without permission from the rights holders? Generally, using protected material beyond private use or citation requires permission. Scraping or using data for AI training without permission is typically considered infringement unless a specific legal exception applies.

Buma/Stemra’s Opt-Out Policy

In the Netherlands, Buma/Stemra explicitly uses its opt-out rights, requiring prior consent for TDM on its repertoire, thus ensuring fair compensation for composers and lyricists.

EU AI Act: Transparency Obligations and System Monitoring

The EU AI Act, effective from August 2025, introduces important transparency requirements, obliging generative AI model developers to:

  1. Disclose training data used, including copyrighted music or texts.

  2. Maintain policies ensuring compliance with EU copyright law.

  3. Respect explicit opt-out signals from rights holders during training.

The Act doesn't prohibit using protected material for training outright but enforces transparency and compliance through oversight and penalties.

Composition, Lyrics, and Master Recordings: Different Rights Regimes

Music rights in the Netherlands broadly split into:

A. Copyright: Protects compositions and lyrics, managed by organizations like Buma/Stemra.

B. Neighboring Rights: Protect recordings and performances, managed by Sena.

AI-Generated Compositions and Lyrics: Completely AI-generated works often fail to meet traditional copyright criteria, as human creativity is essential.

Neighboring Rights: It remains uncertain whether AI-generated performances and recordings attract neighboring rights, as these typically rely on human involvement.

Copyright Status of AI-Generated Music

In the U.S., fully AI-generated works explicitly do not receive copyright protection. While Europe hasn't clarified explicitly, the prevailing legal view aligns with this stance—AI-generated works likely fall into the public domain unless there's significant human creativity involved.

Hybrid Creations: Music combining human and AI input may qualify for copyright protection depending on the human creative contribution's significance.

AI Voice Cloning: Personality Rights and Privacy

AI voice cloning technology poses challenges regarding personal rights and privacy. Artists may invoke:

  1. Privacy rights under EU law (Article 8 ECHR).

  2. Personality rights.

  3. Potential trademark and image rights analogously.

The EU AI Act mandates transparency in AI-generated content, aiming to mitigate unauthorized use and deepfake concerns.

Music Contracts in the AI Era

Existing music contracts require updates addressing AI-specific matters, including (1) Explicit licensing terms for AI training; (2) Ownership clarity of AI-generated content; and (3) Liability assignment for copyright infringements involving AI.

Conclusion: Balancing Innovation and Rights—Be Prepared

The intersection of AI and music law presents both opportunities and challenges. Stakeholders should proactively:

  1. Clearly define rights in AI-generated music contractually and update existing music contracts.

  2. Specify permissions (licenses) and restrictions (opt-out) regarding AI training explicitly.

  3. Seek specialized music & AI legal advice to navigate evolving regulations.

By strategically addressing these issues, artists, companies, and AI developers can legally and effectively harness AI innovations, maintaining both creative and commercial control.

Meer lezen
Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Property, Machine Learning, Licenties, Naburige rechten, Privacywetgeving, Entertainment en Kunst, EthicsMauritz KopMusic Law, AI, Privacy, Copyrights, Neighbouring Rights, AI Generated Works, Voice-Cloning, Buma/Stemra, Sena, Opt-out, Music Contracts, EU AI Act, Licensing, Privacy Laws, Intellectual Property, Mauritz Kop
The US ISO 42001 Standards-Centric Approach to AI Governance: Compliance, Trust, and Innovation (Daiki Repost)
The US ISO 42001 Standards-Centric Approach to AI Governance: Compliance, Trust, and Innovation (Daiki Repost)

AIRecht reposts, in full and with permission, a Daiki essay by Mauritz Kop, Co-Founder, on why the United States is converging on a standards-centric model of artificial intelligence governance—and why ISO/IEC 42001 has become its anchor. The repost is presented as published on May 13, 2025, with its original spellings, figures, and references intact.

A standards-first answer to a fragmented regime

The American approach to AI is, by design, light on binding federal statute and heavy on voluntary, risk-based guidance: the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, sector-specific direction from the FTC, EEOC, and FDA, and a patchwork of state laws. Into that fragmentation steps ISO/IEC 42001, the world's first international standard for AI Management Systems, published in December 2023. The essay's argument is that a single, certifiable management system can do what a stack of statute-shaped checklists cannot—give an organization one coherent governance posture that travels across jurisdictions.

The transatlantic bridge

The stakes are clearest for U.S. companies selling into Europe. ISO 42001 certification is not the same as EU AI Act compliance, but the two overlap heavily on risk management, data governance, transparency, documentation, and human oversight—precisely the obligations the Act imposes on high-risk systems. The repost frames the standard as a "common language" that lets a U.S. firm demonstrate diligence to European regulators and partners without building a separate compliance machine for each market. It is the same standards-first logic Kop and colleagues have argued for in quantum governance, where international standards substitute for legislation that has not yet caught up to the technology.

From paperwork to governance asset

The closing move is strategic rather than procedural. Under an anticipated period of U.S. federal deregulation, the essay contends, a globally recognized standard offers stability that domestic political cycles cannot: a baseline of good governance that holds regardless of which executive orders survive. The Daiki method then operationalizes that posture through six integrated components—an AI system registry, an EU AI Act toolkit, an ISO 42001 implementation framework, ISO 27001 data-security integration, MDR/ISO 13485 support for medical AI, and a responsible generative-AI framework—so overlapping requirements are managed once, not many times. The throughline connects to Daiki's wider body of work on operationalizing regulation, including its EU AI Act compliance solution and its quantum-governance recipe.

Why repost it here

For boards, general counsel, and AI program leads, the practical message is that the era of principles is giving way to an era of evidence: organizations will increasingly be asked to prove their governance, not merely assert it. Reposting the essay in full preserves Kop's argument verbatim while placing it alongside AIRecht's running coverage of Mauritz Kop's work at the intersection of AI, standards, and responsible technology governance.

Meer lezen
Artificial Intelligence, Standardization, GovernanceMauritz KopMauritz Kop, AI, Governance, Standards, Regulation, Policy, Healthcare, Daiki, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act, AI Governance, Standards-Centric, Repost, ISO 27001, Trustworthy AI
Towards an Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI
Towards an Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI

Stanford, CA May 5, 2025 — Today, Mauritz Kop published interdisciplinary research proposing “A Principled Approach to Quantum Technologies”, and the establishment of an “Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI” on the website of the European Commission. The Atomic Agency essay analyzes emerging AI and quantum technology (including their increasing complementarity and interdependence embodied in quantum-AI hybrids) regulation, export controls, and technical standards in the U.S., EU, and China, comparing legislative efforts anno 2025 to strategically balance the benefits and risks of these transformative technologies through the lens of their distinct innovation systems. The Principled Approach paper posits that quantum technology's dual use character brings with it the need to balance maximizing benefits with mitigating risks. In this spirit, the paper argues that quantum technology development should best be guided by a framework for Responsible Quantum Technology, operationalized by a set of tailored principles to optimize risk-benefit curves. Download the paper here.

Towards an Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI

The article analyzes emerging regulation, export controls, and technical standards for both quantum and AI (including their increasing complementarity and interdependence embodied in quantum-AI hybrids) in the U.S., EU, and China and offers novel conceptual frameworks to steward these technologies towards shared global benefit.

Key Takeaways:

1. Converging Need for Responsible Governance: Despite distinct innovation philosophies (market-driven in the U.S., values-based in the EU, and state-driven in China), there's a growing international consensus on the necessity for principled and responsible technology governance for both AI and quantum technologies.

2. The 'Washington Effect' vs. 'Beijing Effect': The U.S.'s security-centric policies are creating a de facto "Washington effect," potentially setting global rules for quantum law but risking premature regulation. Conversely, China's push for state-aligned standardization (e.g., via the Digital Silk Road) signals a "Beijing effect," which could export autocratic norms and fragment global interoperability, a trend exacerbated by unilateral export controls.

3. Potential U.S., EU and China Visions on a Quantum Governance Act: Given the distinct innovation ecosystems and strategic priorities of the United States, the European Union, and China, it is instructive to envision how each might hypothetically structure a dedicated legislative framework for quantum technologies. The research outlines hypothetical "Quantum Governance Acts" for each, reflecting their respective governance philosophies and innovation models, while also considering pathways towards greater international alignment based on shared values:

a. United States: Removing Barriers for U.S. Quantum Technology Act (deregulation, industrial standards-centric approach, Safeguarding through Advancing quantum technology, prioritizing market dynamism, national & economic security, and defense).

b. European Union: EU Quantum Act (harmonized regulation rooted in fundamental rights and societal benefit based on New Legislative Framework while incorporating elements from European Chips Act, renewed focus on defense via “European DARPA”).

c. China: Comprehensive Quantum Law (Safeguarding state control while Advancing state goals, blending elements of authoritarian governance with surveillance capitalism, integration of civilian and military sectors, self-reliance, exporting state norms & values through technical standards).

4. Global Challenges & Opportunities for Alignment: Faced with planetary challenges like disease, inequality and climate change, aligning on Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) norms and standards is a critical global opportunity. The article cautions against a simplistic zero-sum game or Cold-War redux narrative for quantum competition, arguing it hinders vital international cooperation.

5. Quantum-Relativistic Innovation Theory of Everything: Philosophical thought experiment to understand innovation dynamics by drawing analogies from quantum mechanics (uncertainty, superposition at micro-level) and general relativity (context, structure at macro-level), theories about the fundamental nature of reality.

6. Smart Regulation and RQT by Design: Effective governance must move beyond mere restrictions to actively incentivize responsible behaviors, promoting "Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) by design" through flexible instruments like Quantum Impact Assessments (QIA), RQT by design metrics, adaptive, modular legislation, & regulatory sandboxes.

7. Harmonized "Quantum Acquis Planétaire": The article advocates for a global body of Quantum Law ("Quantum Acquis Planétaire"), complemented by sector-specific practices. Such a quantum acquis would be anchored in universal ethical values and translated into foundational standards and agile legal guardrails. This requires inter-continental policymaking and strategic "recoupling" between major players like the U.S. and China, based on incentives and shared values (“what connects us” – e.g. human dignity, security, well-being).

8. An "Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI": A central proposal is the establishment of an international agency modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This body would aim to enforce a global acquis, deter a quantum arms race, ensure non-proliferation of dual-use quantum-AI technologies via safeguards implementation (inspired by nuclear governance), and potentially oversee a global UN Quantum Treaty.

9. Need for International Collaboration & Research Platforms: Realizing ambitious goals like fault-tolerant quantum centric supercomputing, and scalable topological qudits unlocking higher-dimensional quantum systems leveraging multi-level logic, requires collective global expertise and collaborative research platforms akin to CERN or ITER, challenging protectionist measures that stifle necessary cooperation. Immediate global actions should focus on leveraging quantum for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mitigating a 'Quantum Divide,' promoting quantum literacy, and building a skilled quantum workforce.

The research underscores the urgent need for robust global quantum-AI governance structures and calls for a shift from purely competitive dynamics towards pragmatic cooperation and the codification of a harmonized global framework.

Meer lezen
Academics, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology, Stanford RQTMauritz KopAtomic Agency for Quantum-AI, Export Controls, AI Governance, Regulation, Innovation Systems, Standards, China, United States, Europe, Law, Ethics, Policy, IAEA, CERN, ITER, NATO, Quantum Treaty, Nuclear, EU Quantum Act, Mauritz Kop, European DARPA, Quantum Governance Act, EU Chips Act, Dual Use, Responsible Quantum Technology, Washington Effect, Beijing Effect, Brussels Effect, Cold-war redux, Quantum-Relativistic Innovation Theory of Everything, Quantum Acquis Planétaire
Mauritz Kop Delivers Keynote on Global Quantum Governance Frameworks at the World Quantum Summit in Washington DC
Mauritz Kop Delivers Keynote on Global Quantum Governance Frameworks at the World Quantum Summit in Washington DC

At the World Quantum Summit in Washington, DC, held during DC Climate Week on May 2, 2025, Mauritz Kop, Founder of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, delivered a keynote on Global Quantum Governance Frameworks. The address landed in a symbolic year—the centennial of quantum mechanics and the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology—and made a single, sustained argument: that quantum's distinctive physics demands tailored governance, and that the world should cooperate to unlock quantum for societal progress rather than fracture into rival blocs.

A fragmented compliance web—and a standards-first answer

Kop's diagnosis is that developers of quantum and hybrid systems already face a fragmented web of regional and global requirements, from export controls to sector-specific rules supported by standards, certifications, and quality-management systems. His remedy is unified quantum interoperability standards to avert a "quantum splinternet," paired with the Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) framework and its benchmarks. This standards-first posture—building technical consensus before locking in less adaptable legislation—runs through his scholarship on responsible quantum innovation, including the Ten Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation published in IOP Quantum Science and Technology.

Benefits, risks, and Quantum-ELSPI

The keynote mapped quantum's promise and peril by domain. On the benefit side, Kop aligned responsible quantum innovation with the UN Sustainable Development Goals—drug discovery, weather forecasting, battery chemistry, carbon capture. On the risk side, he flagged "Q-day," when current RSA and AES encryption fails, alongside dual-use ambiguity in quantum simulation and sensing. These interrelated ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy implications form what he calls Quantum-ELSPI, the lens through which he argues quantum should be governed in line with civil liberties, human rights, and the rule of law.

An Atomic Agency for the quantum age

The address built toward an institutional proposal: a globally harmonized "Quantum Acquis Planétaire," a UN Quantum Treaty modeled on the 2024 UN AI Resolution and the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and an "Atomic Agency for Quantum/AI" inspired by the IAEA's safeguards model, complemented by CERN-style international resource pooling. The keynote is distinct from Kop's role as a speaker for the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025: that recognition concerns the year's designation, whereas this address sets out the specific governance architecture he believes the quantum age now requires. His central claim is that the architecture must be designed today—before second-generation, agentic quantum and AI systems outpace the law—and that it should be standards-first, rights-respecting, and global by construction, so that quantum technology serves a collective future of widespread, equitably distributed prosperity.

Meer lezen
Quantum Technology, Governance, ConferenceMauritz KopMauritz Kop, Quantum Governance, Stanford RQT, Governance, Ethics, Policy, Standards, Quantum-ELSPI, Conference, Geopolitics, National Security, World Quantum Summit, DC Climate Week, Ten Principles, Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI, Quantum Non-Proliferation, International Year of Quantum, Q-day
Mauritz Kop Expert at Eric Schmidt backed von Neumann Commission
Mauritz Kop Expert at Eric Schmidt backed von Neumann Commission

Stanford, CA – Mauritz Kop, the Frm. Founding Executive Director of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT), has accepted an invitation to serve as an expert on The von Neumann Commission. The announcement, made on February 1, 2025, positions Kop to contribute to a critical global dialogue at the intersection of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and grand strategy. The Oxford-based, independent research commission is backed by the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation and other key institutions. The von Neumann Commission’s inquiry will be multifaceted, addressing the core technical prospects for quantum acceleration, its strategic implications for the global balance of power, the risks to strategic stability, and the necessary governance frameworks to ensure responsible development. The Commission's investigation is set against the backdrop of a new technological paradigm—the convergence of quantum and AI—and is informed by the historical legacy of its namesake, the strategic vision of its sponsors, and the vital perspectives of its experts.

The Quantum-AI Convergence: A New Technological Paradigm

At the heart of The von Neumann Commission's inquiry is the powerful synergy between quantum computing and artificial intelligence. This convergence is not merely additive; it is a cross-pollination that promises to redefine the boundaries of both fields. To understand this, one must first grasp the fundamental difference between classical and quantum computation.

Classical computers, from supercomputers to smartphones, process information using bits, which can exist in one of two definite states: 0 or 1. Quantum computing, by contrast, operates on the principles of quantum mechanics. It uses qubits, which can exist in a state of superposition—representing both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This property, combined with entanglement, where the state of one qubit is instantly correlated with another regardless of distance, allows quantum computers to explore a vast computational space and perform parallel calculations on an exponential scale.

Professor Kop’s Expertise as a von Neumann Commissioner

As a Commission expert, Professor Kop will contribute a multidisciplinary perspective grounded in his extensive research on the law, ethics, societal impact, and policy of quantum and AI. Professor Kop has advised numerous governments and international organizations on their quantum technology strategies, including the United States (notably the Department of State on its quantum foreign policy, U.S. Senators on quantum governance, and as a Guest Professor at the US Air Force Academy), Canada, the United Kingdom, and The Netherlands, as well as multilateral institutions such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), UNESCO, CERN, and the OECD. He has also provided expert guidance to the European Union on landmark AI legislation, including the EU AI Act and the Data Act. His specific contributions to The von Neumann Commission will draw from his expertise in:

● Geostrategy, Democracy, and Authoritarianism: Analyzing the strategic struggle between democratic and authoritarian models of technology governance. This includes his work in Foreign Policy and the Stanford-Vienna Transatlantic Technology Forum on forming a strategic tech alliance among democratic nations and his lectures at institutions like the Hoover Institution on the impact of quantum technologies on the global balance of power.

● Comparative Regulatory and Innovation Models: Analyzing the legal and policy differences between the US, EU, and China. His scholarship, including his "Ten principles for responsible quantum technology" in IOP Quantum Science and Technology, his “Establishing a Legal-Ethical Framework for Quantum Technology” at Yale University, and foundational articles at Harvard Berkman Klein and Nature, dissects these competing models and provides a crucial framework for navigating global strategic competition.

● China’s Quantum and AI Strategy: Providing in-depth analysis of China's legal, ethical, and policy landscape for quantum technologies. This includes evaluating the country's national strategy, its approach to dual use civil-military fusion, its influence on U.S. and E.U. national and economic security through China’s Digital Silk Road Initiative, and its comparative strengths and weaknesses in the global technology race, as analyzed in his “Towards an Atomic Agency for Quantum-AI” scholarship at the European Commission’s Futurium.

● National and Economic Security: Examining the role of export controls, rare earth and critical mineral supply chain vulnerability as published at the Stanford Program on Geopolitics, Technology, and Governance at CISAC / FSI, intellectual property law as published at Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute, and cybersecurity in managing the geostrategic dimensions of quantum technology. His work in these areas, including his contributions to forums like Tel Aviv University's Cyber Week, provides critical insights into protecting strategic assets.

● Standards and Governance: Contributing to the development of robust standards, certification protocols, and performance benchmarks to ensure the safety, reliability, and ethical implementation of these powerful technologies, drawing from lessons from nuclear governance, and from his conferences and seminars at Stanford, Fordham Law, Arizona State, Copenhagen, the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo.

By integrating these insights, Kop will aid the Commission in formulating a holistic understanding of the challenges pertaining to systemic rivalry and great power competition ahead.

Meer lezen
Think Tank, Stanford RQT, GovernanceMauritz Kopvon Neumann Commission, Eric Schmidt, Quantum-AI, Great Power Rivalry, Geostrategic Competition, Game Theory, Law, Ethics, Policy, Philosophy, Stanford RQT, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Mauritz Kop
Stanford Scholar Mauritz Kop Teaches Quantum Computing & Law at Fordham Law School
Stanford Scholar Mauritz Kop Teaches Quantum Computing & Law at Fordham Law School

New York, NY, January 21, 2025 – Stanford University scholar Mauritz Kop, a leading voice in the intricate nexus of quantum technology, AI, and law, today addressed the legal community at the Fordham Law School Library. His presentation, titled "Here Comes Quantum Computing — What the Legal Community Needs to Know," was a featured event in the Maloney Library's esteemed "Tech Lunch 'n' Learn" series, a program designed to keep legal professionals at the forefront of technological innovation.

Stanford Scholar Mauritz Kop the Quantum Future for the Legal Community at Fordham Law

Kop, the Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, offered a comprehensive overview of the transformative potential and inherent risks of quantum technologies at Fordham Law. He emphasized that the leitmotif of our time is that "Quantum’s benefits outweigh its risks, if implemented responsibly".

Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT) is a framework designed to ensure that the innovation and implementation of quantum technologies align with societal demands and enhance global welfare. It provides a principled approach to guide quantum technology development.

Responsible Quantum Technology

The core components and objectives of RQT entail:

Compliance and Safety: Developers, vendors, and users of quantum systems must adhere to a range of emerging regional and global requirements. This includes technology-specific rules and industry-specific regulations in sectors like finance and healthcare, supported by standards and certifications to guarantee safe deployment.

Addressing Implications (Quantum-ELSPI): RQT involves engaging with quantum technologies in a way that is consistent with Quantum-ELSPI—the ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy implications of the technology. This requires a tailored approach that considers the unique and counter-intuitive principles of quantum mechanics, such as superposition and entanglement.

Alignment with RRI: The RQT framework responds to the key dimensions of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness.

Ethical Foundation: RQT must align with quantum ethics, which involves identifying the dilemmas inherent in making these technologies ethical through interdisciplinary, context-specific methods.

Legal Frameworks: The framework requires adherence to legal norms like the rule of law and proportionality. It advocates for future legislation that mitigates risks and maximizes benefits, providing legal certainty to incentivize Responsible Quantum Innovation (RQI).

Socio-Economic Considerations: RQT dictates that quantum technology should prioritize society's most pressing goals, such as cybersecurity, economic stability, and managing climate change. It also mandates that the benefits and burdens of the technology should be equitably distributed.

Policy Guidance: RQT serves as a tool for policymakers, helping them learn from the governance of other disruptive technologies like AI, nuclear energy, and the internet. An important policy goal is to foster values-based quantum ecosystems globally.

Operational Principles: The RQT paradigm is put into practice through "10 Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation". These principles are structured to safeguard, engage, and advance (SEA) quantum technologies, society, and humankind, with the ultimate goal of protecting society by responsibly advancing the technology.

Practical Tools: The framework can be used by policymakers to design regulations and can be complemented by self-regulatory tools like technology impact assessments to monitor, validate, and audit quantum applications throughout their lifecycle using appropriate RQT benchmarks and metrics.

Hardwiring Values: A core tenet of RQT is embedding shared values and standards into the design, deployment, and infrastructure of quantum systems. This includes current work on how to embed values and standards into the architecture and infrastructure of quantum AI systems, products, and services. The goal is to guide these technologies toward collective social and environmental benefit.

Quantum Computing — What the Legal Community Needs to Know

The ‘Quantum Computing — What the Legal Community Needs to Know’ lecture provided an in-depth exploration of second-generation (2G) quantum technologies, which harness the unique principles of quantum physics, such as superposition and entanglement, to solve problems beyond the grasp of classical computers. Kop highlighted recent breakthroughs, including Google's "Willow" quantum computing chip, which completed a complex calculation in under five minutes—a task that would take the fastest supercomputers an estimated 10 septillion years. This, he explained, demonstrates the potential for quantum computers to revolutionize sectors like healthcare, finance, energy, and defense.

Navigating the Ethical and Legal Maze

A significant portion of the talk was dedicated to the ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy implications (Quantum ELSPI) of this emerging field. Kop stressed the dual-use nature of quantum technology, which, much like nuclear energy, can be applied to both civilian and military purposes. This duality necessitates a robust governance framework to prevent misuse by adversaries and to avoid a new arms race.

Kop advocated for a "Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT)" framework to ensure that innovation aligns with societal values and legal standards. This approach calls for a recalibration of legal frameworks to mitigate risks while fostering responsible innovation. He pointed to the "Collingridge dilemma," cautioning that regulating quantum too early could stifle innovation, while regulating too late could result in irreversible negative consequences.

A Call for Global Cooperation and Responsible Innovation

The lecture underscored the necessity of global cooperation in developing unified quantum interoperability standards to avoid a "quantum splinternet" fragmented along geopolitical lines. Kop argued for a research and development agenda that is "as open as possible, and as closed as necessary" to address national security concerns while fostering international partnerships.

To operationalize the RQT paradigm, Kop and his research group have proposed "10 Principles for Responsible Quantum Innovation," organized to safeguard, engage, and advance (SEA) quantum technologies for the benefit of humanity.

Fordham's Commitment to Legal Tech Education

The "Tech Lunch 'n' Learn" series at Fordham's Maloney Library provides a crucial platform for such discussions, inviting experts to shed light on the evolving landscape of law and technology. These sessions empower students and practitioners to grapple with complex subjects like AI, data privacy, and now, quantum computing.

Kop's lecture at Fordham served as a vital call to action for the legal community to proactively engage with the development of quantum technologies. As he concluded, "As society shapes technology, technology shapes society". The legal profession has a critical role to play in ensuring that the quantum era unfolds in a manner that is secure, equitable, and beneficial for all.

Meer lezen
Workshops, Stanford, Quantum-AI, Quantum ELSPI, Quantum TechnologyMauritz KopFordham Law School, Mauritz Kop, Quantum Computing, Legal Community, Workshop, Teaching
Mauritz Kop Consults UNESCO and OECD on Ethics and Quantum Technology Policy
Mauritz Kop Consults UNESCO and OECD on Ethics and Quantum Technology Policy

Paris, January 9, 2025— As quantum technologies advance at a rapid pace, global institutions are turning to leading experts to help shape the ethical and policy frameworks that will govern this transformative era. Mauritz Kop, a prominent scholar in the field of quantum law and governance Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, has been actively consulting with two of the world's foremost international bodies: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His contributions are helping to build a global consensus on the responsible development and deployment of quantum technologies.

Expert Opinions for UNESCO and its World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST)

UNESCO, through its World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), is at the forefront of establishing global ethical norms for emerging technologies. COMEST is an advisory body composed of leading international scholars tasked with formulating ethical principles to guide decision-makers beyond purely economic considerations.

Recognizing his expertise, COMEST invited Mauritz Kop to an exclusive Expert Hearing on May 13, 2024. This session was convened to gather insights for the Commission's forthcoming landmark report on the "Ethics of the Research, Development and Deployment of Quantum Computing Technologies." Together with three other experts who each presented different perspectives, Kop was asked to present his research on Responsible Quantum Technology, quantum-ELSPI (Ethical, Legal, Societal, and Policy Implications), and bespoke governance frameworks for Quantum Information Science (QIS). His scholarship - often co-authored with RQT Fellows such as Mateo Aboy, Eline de Jong, Mark Brongersma, and Raymond Laflamme, provides the Commission with state-of-the-art analysis of the ethical and governance challenges, helping to enrich the foundation of their upcoming report.

Stanford Law’s Mauritz Kop Provides Recommendations on UNESCO Preliminary Draft: 'Ethics of Quantum Computing'

Following the request to participate in the expert hearing, Stanford Law’s Mauritz Kop was formally invited to provide written recommendations on the "Preliminary Draft Report on the Ethics of Quantum Computing" on January 9, 2025. This invitation underscores the value of his contributions to the Commission's work. While the draft itself remains confidential, its direction can be understood through its public predecessor, the "Concept note of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) on the ethics of quantum computing," published on July 24, 2024.

The concept note lays out a comprehensive vision for the ethical governance of quantum computing. It correctly asserts that while quantum technology is still in its early stages, the time to establish ethical guardrails is now, learning from the reactive approach taken with other technologies like social media. The note emphasizes that quantum technology is not neutral; its development and use have profound social and political impacts.

Mauritz Kop Invited by OECD to Speak on Global Policy and National Strategies for Responsible Quantum Technology Development

In addition to his work with UNESCO, Mauritz Kop was invited by the OECD to contribute his expertise to its Global Forum on Technology (GFTech) event, "Future in flux? Global policy issues and national strategies for responsible quantum technology development," held in November 2023. The event was originally scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, but was moved to a virtual format due to regional unrest.

Looking Ahead: The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025

The work of UNESCO and the OECD is particularly timely, as the United Nations has officially declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025). This global initiative, led by UNESCO, marks the 100th anniversary of the development of modern quantum mechanics and aims to raise global awareness of the importance of quantum science and its applications.

Meer lezen
Academics, Governance, Innovation, Policy, Quantum ELSPI, Quantum Technology, Quantum Computing, Stanford RQTMauritz KopUNESCO, OECD, COMEST, Stanford RQT, Quantum Ethics, Policy, Governance, Standards, Dual-Use, Urs Gasser, Mauritz Kop