Open Quantum Institute’s CERN CIO Urges Open Quantum Access at WSIS Forum 2026

Artificial intelligence’s uneven rollout carries a critical lesson for a rapidly developing field: proactive governance is paramount. This concern echoed throughout the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026, where discussions repeatedly drew parallels between AI and quantum technologies, specifically regarding access, skill-building, and responsible development. At the UN High-Level Leaders Dialogue at WSIS Forum 2026, Enrica Porcari, CERN’s Chief Information Officer, urged that governance “cannot be an afterthought,” framing equitable access as a key concern before widespread quantum adoption.

The Open Quantum Institute (OQI), hosted by CERN, is being positioned as a practical solution, ensuring quantum computing is explored openly and with societal benefit in mind.The convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies is prompting a critical reassessment of how powerful technologies are governed, with a focus on preemptive strategies to avoid repeating the uneven rollout experienced with AI. OQI is also addressing the critical need for a broader quantum-capable workforce, extending beyond the training of quantum scientists to include domain experts, chemists, financiers, and biologists, who can apply quantum methods to their respective fields. Audrey Himmer of OQI highlighted that full and equal participation of women and girls is a central commitment of their global education model, recognizing that women have historically faced barriers to access and disproportionately borne the economic consequences of technological shifts; with the quantum transition occurring on a compressed timeline, decisions made now will shape economic participation for generations.This shift is particularly evident in efforts to apply quantum capabilities to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 6: clean water and sanitation. These advancements are being developed in close collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to enhance weather and climate forecasting, areas where increased computational power can genuinely impact progress toward SDG 6. As hydrological models grow in complexity, incorporating geology, meteorology, and climate data, quantum computing approaches are demonstrating potential. OQI emphasizes the importance of cross-sector collaboration to stimulate interoperability between data systems, recognizing that impactful solutions require breaking down traditional boundaries. This focus on practical application, linking emerging technologies directly to sustainable development goals, represents a deliberate effort to avoid repeating the mistakes made during the initial phases of AI deployment, where societal benefit was not always prioritized.The demand for a quantum-literate workforce extends beyond theoretical physicists, a point underscored by the Open Quantum Institute (OQI). This focus reflects an understanding that the largest impact of quantum computing will stem from integrating the technology with established disciplines, rather than solely advancing quantum science itself. OQI’s work actively addresses this gap, linking emerging capabilities directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A WSIS session titled “Deep Skilling for the Quantum Age: A Global Education Model for Women and Girls” revealed a commitment to inclusivity, recognizing that “in every major technology transition, women have been the last to gain access and the first to bear the economic consequences.” The compressed timeline of the quantum transition necessitates proactive measures to ensure equitable participation, shaping economic opportunities for a generation. This emphasis on inclusion extends beyond gender, with OQI advocating for deliberate mechanisms to broaden access to compute and quantum resources.The World Economic Forum (WEF) Quantum Computing Governance Principles, co-authored with engineers and technical leads, exemplify this strategy, moving beyond statements to actionable frameworks. Mira Wolf-Bauwens of OQI underscored this point, stating that ethics only sticks when it is built into incentives, not added later. OQI’s work actively seeks to counter this trend, advocating for deliberate mechanisms to ensure equitable access to compute resources, quantum access, and capacity building, recognizing that equity is an ethical imperative, not merely a secondary consideration. Source: https://open-quantum-institute.cern/where-ai-meets-quantum-computing/ See today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals.With a keen intuition for emerging technologies, The Neuron brings over 5 years of deep expertise to the AI conversation. Coming from roots in software engineering, they've witnessed firsthand the transformation from traditional computing paradigms to today's ML-powered landscape. Their hands-on experience implementing neural networks and deep learning systems for Fortune 500 companies has provided unique insights that few tech writers possess. From developing recommendation engines that drive billions in revenue to optimizing computer vision systems for manufacturing giants, The Neuron doesn't just write about machine learning—they've shaped its real-world applications across industries. Having built real systems that are used across the globe by millions of users, that deep technological bases helps me write about the technologies of the future and current. Whether that is AI or Quantum Computing.