Dr. Pravir Malik is the founder and technologist of QIQuantum and the Forbes Technology Council Community leader for Quantum Computing. Computing concept of scalePixelPulse - stock.adobe.comThe evolution of AI has given us a preview of what happens when transformative technology outpaces governance. Now, as quantum capabilities mature, leaders have an opportunity—and an obligation—to ensure these systems are developed responsibly, with security, ethical governance and societal benefit built into their foundation.To help leaders apply lessons learned from AI, I talked to members of the Quantum Computing Group, a community that I lead through Forbes Technology Council. They shared takeaways for how organizations can realize quantum's promise while earning the confidence of customers, regulators and the public.1. Require Breakthroughs To Publish A Societal Impact Ledger Alongside Technical ResultsOne lesson from AI is that influence often concentrates before accountability matures. For quantum, require every breakthrough to publish a societal impact ledger alongside technical results. The ledger would document who benefits, who bears risk, which industries could be disrupted and what safeguards were tested. Investors, regulators, customers and researchers would evaluate progress against both performance and public impact. This creates a market incentive for responsible innovation before quantum capability becomes too powerful to steer. - Jagadish Gokavarapu, Wissen Infotech2. Prioritize Real-Time Hardware-Level Error DetectionThe key lesson from AI is that reliability, security and governance must scale alongside technological capability, not after it. As quantum systems grow, instability, noise and decoherence demand built-in verification and control at the hardware level. In this context, the photonic intelligence processing unit (PIPU) enables real-time photonic error syndrome detection using coherence, interference and nonlinear dynamics, strengthening fault tolerance and ensuring scalable, trustworthy and ethically governed quantum computing systems. - Dr. Pramod Kumar, QuantLase Research & Development CenterForbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?3. Embed Ethical Boundaries Into The Architectural FoundationThe biggest lesson from AI is that we can't wait until the tech is fully deployed to think about security and guardrails. With quantum, we need to embed ethical boundaries and open-source standards right into the architectural foundation today. If we let proprietary vendors build completely closed systems before governance catches up, we lose control of the roadmap. True oversight starts at the blueprint stage, not after the technology has already scaled. - Mahendran Chinnaiah4. Measure Quantum By Preparedness, Not Just PerformanceAI’s lesson was not to simply “govern early." We measured progress by capability while exposure compounded unseen. Quantum sharpens that risk: With “harvest now, decrypt later,” data stolen today may already be compromised before the machine to break it exists. So measure quantum by preparedness, not just performance: who is protected, who is accountable and who benefits. Crypto-agility, ownership and public trust cost little now and far more later, and the standards we set today will bind for decades. The clock has started, and delay is already a choice. - Mohan Shekar, SAP5. Have Industry, Academia And Government Collaborate Early OnOne lesson from AI is that governance cannot be an afterthought. Once a technology reaches widespread adoption, it becomes much harder to address security, privacy and risks of misuse. With quantum computing, industry, academia and government should work together early on standards, risk frameworks and transparency. Building those guardrails now will help ensure the technology delivers benefits while minimizing unintended consequences. - Nirmal Jingar, Wayfair6. Start With Cross-Sector StandardsThe biggest lesson from AI is to build governance before scale, not after harm appears. For quantum, leaders should start now with crypto-risk audits, ethical-use boundaries and cross-sector standards, so its power is not limited to those who can exploit it first, but directed toward secure and responsible progress. Leaders must build crypto-agility, clear ethical boundaries and public-private governance now, so quantum advances security, science and society instead of widening risk and inequality. - Gouri Sankar Dash, Tata Consultancy Services7. Build The Oversight Frameworks While The Window Is OpenAI taught us that embedding ethics and governance after a technology scales is nearly impossible. With quantum, build the oversight frameworks, cryptographic standards and international norms now — while the window is open. The cost of proactive governance is trivial compared to retrofitting it onto an already-entrenched, already-weaponized technology. - Dr. Sanjay Kumar, City of New Orleans8. Develop With A Trust-By-Design MindsetAI showed that trust is usually the last thing organizations protect and the first thing they lose. Quantum should be developed with a trust-by-design mindset: verify security, provenance and access at every layer so the technology earns legitimacy before it earns scale. If quantum is going to reshape critical systems, society must be able to trust not just what it can do, but who can use it and how it is governed. - Eshaan Jain, Mphasis Silverline9. Establish Clear Accountability Frameworks Before Reaching Critical ScaleAI taught us that the greatest risk is not technological disruption but governance lag. We spent years scaling capability and only later addressing security, accountability and societal impact. Quantum gives us a rare opportunity to reverse that. The priority is not simply quantum advantage, but quantum preparedness: Post-quantum cryptography, international standards, and clear accountability frameworks established before the technology reaches critical scale. History shows that institutions rarely fail because innovation moved too slowly; they fail because governance did. - Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Morgan Stanley