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G7 Summits > 2025 Kananaskis Summit > Road to the 2025 Kananaskis Summit

International Governance and Quantum Computing:
What Leaders at Kananaskis Will Do – and What They Should Do

Jess Rapson, G7 Research Group
June 14, 2025

Key Takeaways

The 2025 Kananaskis G7 Summit is poised to be the first where G7 leaders formally commit to quantum computing governance.
Given the technical nature of quantum technology, it is essential that G7 leaders cut through the speculative buzz and focus on grounded priorities.
Cybersecurity should be the top quantum priority for the G7, followed by public investment in fundamental research, particularly in materials and drug discovery.
Economic gains from quantum computing are uncertain; policymakers must hedge bets carefully while focusing on demonstrable public benefits.

Why Focus on Quantum Computing Now?

For the first time in its history, the G7 is expected to make concrete commitments on quantum computing during the Kananaskis Summit on June 15–17, 2025. This reflects the growing global importance of the technology and a shared recognition that proactive governance is necessary – not only to capture potential benefits, but also to mitigate emerging risks.

The renewed focus on quantum also serves a diplomatic function. In the wake of increasingly antagonistic policies from US president Donald Trump – including aggressive tariffs on G7 allies and controversial rhetoric about annexing Canada – quantum computing offers a politically neutral, forward-looking domain where G7 members can demonstrate unity. For Canada, this moment also presents a rare opportunity to position itself as a global leader in a transformative field.

Quantum computing represents a fundamental shift in the architecture of computing itself. Rather than relying on traditional bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits – which, thanks to quantum superposition, can be both 0 and 1 at the same time. This unlocks powerful capabilities for:

Massively parallel computations, and
High-fidelity simulations of molecular systems that are impossible for classical computers to handle efficiently.

We are currently in what is called the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era, in which existing quantum machines remain error prone and limited in scale. Large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum systems are still many years away – but certain meaningful applications, such as materials simulation and quantum chemistry, may become feasible within the next 5–10 years.

Quantum computing is also a dual-use technology – with both positive and negative applications. Nowhere is this clearer than in cybersecurity. Modern cryptographic protocols depend on problems that are intractable for classical computers, such as prime factorization. But with a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, Shor’s Algorithm could break these systems almost instantly, putting encrypted data – including sensitive government and financial records – at risk.

These risks and opportunities make quantum computing an ideal, forward-looking topic for G7 leaders to engage with. But to do so effectively, they must avoid repeating past mistakes and focus on governance frameworks that prioritize security, transparency and long-term scientific benefit.

Lessons from G7 AI Governance

The G7’s recent approach to the governance of artificial intelligence offers an instructive precedent. During Japan’s G7 presidency in 2023, the G7 issued the Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles for AI and the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for AI developers. These were high-level, values-driven commitments meant to foster safe, transparent and trustworthy AI systems globally.

These agreements emphasized:

Responsible risk management and transparency,
Investment in cybersecurity and secure data sharing,
Incident reporting and mitigation, and
Labelling systems to identify AI-generated content.

Much like AI, quantum computing is a foundational technology with global implications. Therefore, we should expect similarly cautious and broad-strokes language in any quantum commitments. Leaders will likely avoid any pledges involving direct public investment or financial mobilization, instead focusing on setting ethical guidelines and outlining risk governance priorities.

What the G7 Should Prioritize on Quantum Computing

1. Cybersecurity Must Come First

The clearest and most urgent priority for the G7 is cybersecurity. Quantum computers pose a significant future threat to existing encryption systems, and “harvest now, decrypt later” strategies are already being pursued by threat actors – where encrypted data is stolen today in anticipation of decryption in the quantum future.

G7 governments must:

Commit to transitioning government systems to quantum-secure cryptography well before large-scale quantum systems exist.
Mandate that financial institutions and critical infrastructure providers implement quantum-resistant protocols by 2030.
Invest in public key infrastructure that is resilient to quantum threats.

This is not just prudent – it is essential.

2. Support Fundamental Research, Not Buzz

The second pillar should be public funding for fundamental research, especially in academia. While commercial applications of quantum computing remain speculative, quantum simulations for materials science and drug discovery are the most promising and near-term use cases.

Importantly, these applications:

May offer huge public benefits, even if they aren’t immediately profitable, and
Require long-term investment in expertise, machinery and cooling technologies.

By funding open academic research, governments can ensure that knowledge remains in the public domain and that progress continues – even if private capital proves fickle.

3. Stay Realistic about Economic Hype

There is no denying the excitement around quantum computing. However, leaders must avoid falling for the more speculative promises. While theoretical models suggest quantum computing could outperform classical methods in some AI and optimization tasks, current empirical evidence is lacking. We are still in the early stages of exploring whether quantum algorithms will consistently offer real-world advantages in AI, data processing or general-purpose computing.

One key technical limitation is the no-cloning theorem – a foundational principle of quantum mechanics that prevents quantum data from being copied. This severely limits how quantum systems can store and retrieve information, a critical function of conventional computers. As such, it is unlikely that quantum computers will replace classical ones in the foreseeable future.

The most tangible value lies in quantum simulation at small scales – where even modest progress could yield new drugs, batteries or materials that have a major impact on society.

Conclusion

The 2025 Kananaskis Summit is a milestone moment for quantum governance. For the first time, G7 leaders will need to navigate the complex mix of promise, uncertainty and risk that quantum computing presents. If they succeed in focusing on what matters – cybersecurity, fundamental science, and sober realism – they can lay the groundwork for a global quantum future that is not only innovative but also secure and equitable.

But that requires cutting through the buzz. Quantum computing may indeed change the world – but only if we govern it wisely.

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Jess Rapson is a machine learning engineer and a DPhil candidate in Statistical Science at the University of Oxford. She has a multidisciplinary background in both statistical science and public policy, focusing on applications of AI/ML in optimising decision-making processes for organisations that serve the public.

Website: https://jess-rapson.com/
Research: https://algorithmicgovernance.org/
Email: jessica.rapson@algorithmicgovernance.org

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	Please send comments to: g7@utoronto.ca This page was last updated June 14, 2025.