Hype-Busters: Backing away from the AI Post Quantum Fear Machine
June 16, 2026, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Event Description
With headlines like "Here’s Why AI May Be Extremely Dangerous" or "The Quantum Threat to Encryption" and "Quantum Computers Just Broke RSA Encryption" or "AI Fears Become Reality In The Tech Industry" one might just start to panic. Instead of such sensationalism, we will explore the topic from a more realistic footing. Starting with some background about how both AI and Quantum computing actually work and what we currently have in terms of technology. We'll explore some of the current claims and establish a more realistic baseline for current technology. Finally we'll review what you should actually be thinking about when it comes to both these areas.
About the Speaker
Scott Baker manages the Research Cybersecurity and Compliance team at UBC Advanced Research Computing: a group focused on supporting researchers in navigating compliance requirements and finding secure solutions for their project architectures and research data. He is a member of the program leadership committee for UBC's Privacy & Information Security Management program. He is also a member of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada national security council where he chairs the governance and policy working group.
Prerequisites: No prerequisite required.
Learning objectives: To provide a realistic and actionable insight on AI and Quantum Computing.