I just saw the new Spiderman, and I am reminded in this scenario that “with great power come great responsibility.” It’s overwhelming to think about all the theoretical applications that will solve some of our more curious questions and improve everyday processes with ease. We have already started to see thousands of filed patents based off quantum computation. This is revolutionary, and this issue of The SciTech Lawyer will give you a front-row seat to learn about the real-world application of this new technology, including what new intellectual property can be born of quantum computing.
I am a privacy attorney by practice, so I think about the threats that this type of technology presents. There is this concept of “store and decrypt later” that will keep me up at night until there is the development of a post-quantum cryptography that could protect all of our transactions and communications from being decrypted. However, I get excited learning about the current application of quantum in machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). Not requiring a human interface, but rather having a machine understand the context of speech and reply based on the immense amount of data that is on the internet, is amazing. Think about how this is used with customer management when you call an 800 number or how you engage with Siri or Alexa. It’s amazing how far we have come and how much further we will go. I get dizzy trying to wrap my mind around the possibilities.
The future of the Science & Technology Law Section is now, and I am extremely proud of this issue. Not only is the main topic attention grabbing, but we have decided to dedicate a column in every issue, starting with this one, to the Law Student Engagement Committee. It is important to us that we give current law students and recent graduates a voice. I look forward to learning what topics they consider to be important in this space and creating opportunities to foster engagement and mentorship. This issue’s column was written by Abraham S. Barrera as he reflects on changes to law school curricula to better prioritize and teach the essentials of forensic science.
As we come out of the fog of COVID-19 and get back to normal day-to-day activities, we have started our planning for this year’s first in-person ABA Annual Meeting since COVID started in 2020. I want to personally invite all of you to join our reception in Chicago (venue and date TBA) as we look forward to meeting all new and future members in person. If you are like me, this has been a tough two years and you look forward to mingling with like-minded lawyers and learning about new legal trends.