Editorial: AI and QC, Prepare Now or Panic Later

As advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing (QC) accelerate, a growing sense of concern surrounds their potential to undermine the cryptographic systems that secure our digital identities.

This was a key theme at Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) 2024, where experts discussed how the convergence of these two technologies could pose new challenges to secure documents and protected identities (see IDN April 2024).

But rather than sparking panic, this evolution should be seen as an opportunity to bolster our defences. With the right approach, AI and QC can be leveraged not just as tools for attackers but as critical assets in building stronger, more resilient security frameworks.

The recent breakthrough made by Dutch scientists in creating a 2-qubit (quantum bit) processor on a silicon chip, rather than on more esoteric materials that must be maintained at low temperatures, represents a significant milestone in quantum computing ¹. This advance brings us closer to a future where quantum computers are scalable and practical, which means we must be ready to protect sensitive data in a post-quantum world. Meanwhile, AI continues to evolve, improving its ability to enhance fraudulent activities, such as deepfakes.