As the United Nations’ International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) continues to unfold in 2025, global attention is sharply focused on the convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence as strategic pillars of innovation and cooperation.
The United Nations officially declared 2025 as IYQ on June 7, 2024, to mark the centennial of quantum mechanics and to elevate quantum science on the world stage. The initiative, coordinated by UNESCO, kicked off with an opening ceremony in Paris on February 4–5, 2025, which drew over 1,200 participants, including Nobel Prize winners. IYQ aims to promote quantum literacy, build capacity in the Global South, boost gender equality in STEM, and support the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
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Meanwhile, the Technology and Innovation Report 2025 by UNCTAD emphasizes AI’s unmatched ability to generate ideas autonomously—a capacity that governments worldwide are struggling to regulate effectively. The report highlights the urgent need for inclusive policies to prevent AI from deepening existing digital divides. It advocates a global “AI‑for‑all” approach, calling for strengthened infrastructure, equitable data access, and enhanced digital skills across countries.
At the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2025 meeting, AI and quantum technology emerged as central themes under the banner of “Industries in the Intelligent Age.” A WEF and Accenture report titled Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders details how quantum innovations in computing, sensing, and communication promise to transform sectors such as healthcare, logistics, and cybersecurity. The Forum also released a companion report Blueprint for Intelligent Economies with KPMG, delineating strategies for governments and businesses to deploy AI responsibly and equitably, along with the launch of Frontier MINDS, a global platform designed to scale high-impact AI solutions.
While full-scale quantum computers remain under development, experts are increasingly optimistic about near-term applications of quantum sensing technologies. At the Quantum India Summit 2025 in Bengaluru, Nobel Laureate Duncan Haldane underscored that quantum-enabled devices are already used in high-precision magnetic sensing, brain imaging, gravitational field mapping, and AI-based geolocation. He called on nations to invest in research labs, workforce training, and public-private partnerships, and highlighted how smaller entities can make meaningful contributions through focused niche applications.
Meanwhile, policymakers in the U.S. are exploring new funding models; for example, the proposed bipartisan Quantum Sandbox for Near-Term Applications Act aims to accelerate real-world quantum deployment in healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and other sectors through dedicated pilot environments known as quantum sandboxes.
With AI’s rapid rise, a UN-appointed expert panel warned in 2024 that inadequate coordination could leave many countries—especially in the Global South—marginalized in decision-making. The panel urged the creation of inclusive global institutions, a scientific advisory panel on AI, and a global AI fund to ensure equitable access to AI benefits.
Experts are also sounding alarms about overlapping threats from AI and quantum technologies. S. Ying, Chief Scientist at Singapore’s NCS Group, cautioned that quantum computing could break current encryption methods, potentially compromising sensitive data years after it is intercepted—a scenario known as “harvest now, decrypt later.” He advocates for preparing digital systems to be quantum resilient and establishing robust cross-sector governance frameworks akin to the WTO model.
UNCTAD’s 2025 report similarly prescribes multi-stakeholder AI governance frameworks with impact assessments, transparency mandates, ESG-style reporting, and accountability mechanisms for tech firms and governments.
2025 marks a pivotal shift: quantum computing is advancing from theoretical research into real-world practice, particularly through quantum sensors and pilot programs. At the same time, AI governance is emerging as a global priority, with calls for inclusive frameworks and equitable access. These dual trends are driving new international cooperation models involving governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
This convergence has broader implications. Hybrid quantum-AI systems promise efficiency gains in healthcare, logistics, finance, energy, and smart infrastructure. Initiatives like IYQ and UNCTAD’s policies aim to democratize access to cutting-edge technology and address the quantum and AI divides. Preparing for quantum threats to encryption and ensuring that AI systems are transparent, fair, and accountable are now collective imperatives.
The year is quickly tilting toward frameworks for international cooperation, such as new legislative measures like the Quantum Sandbox Act in the U.S., which aims to fast-track commercial quantum applications. Global AI standards are emerging from policymaker coalitions, industry alliances, and UN-led initiatives to foster equitable access and governance. Strategic partnerships between governments, academia, and the private sector are evident in IYQ’s partnerships with firms like Microsoft, Google Quantum AI, IBM, and Quantinuum, as well as support from scientific bodies like UNESCO, IEEE, AIP, and APS.
The interplay between the UN-led IYQ, the WEF’s strategy reports, and UNCTAD’s inclusive policy frameworks signals a more unified global innovation agenda. AI and quantum science are no longer siloed trends—they are becoming deeply entangled drivers of sustainable, inclusive development.
Quantum technology may still be emerging, and AI governance remains a work in progress, but 2025 is unmistakably the year when these domains intersect—with global collaboration, ethical foresight, and capacity-building at their core.
