I’m no expert on artificial intelligence, far from it, but the picture being painted for us is indeed frightening, especially for our children, because… which professions will still exist and which will cease to exist? That said, humanity has already gone through this kind of change—just look at industrialization. When it began, it also completely revolutionized the society we lived in. We will likely have to go through another similar change.
What job profiles will we need in the quantum era?
Physicists and mathematicians are the professionals who are likely best equipped to handle all the changes ahead. It’s no coincidence that the university degree program encompassing both fields of knowledge has the highest cutoff score for university admission in Spain. On the other hand, I imagine that from now on, universities will also begin offering quantum engineering programs.
As a researcher, what would you say to political leaders?
That research isn’t a switch you can turn off and then turn back on as if nothing had happened. Cuts to research have consequences, and investment is necessary and must be sustained over time. Let’s remember that the richest countries aren’t the ones that invest in R&D; rather, investing in R&D makes countries richer. We must be very aware of this and of the need to invest in technology. Otherwise, we’ll be relegated to bringing up the rear, with all the disadvantages—including geopolitical ones—that entails. And this is an issue that concerns us all as citizens, not just a community of scientists. As citizens, we not only have the right to inform ourselves about how technologies work so we can make informed decisions, but we also have the duty and responsibility to do so.
And you contribute to this goal through your outreach work. I haven’t asked you about your books, which are aimed at a broader and younger audience than the one that usually follows our publication, but these novels are a success.
My intention with them is to spark an interest in learning more.
Read the full article in Computerworld Spain.
