It seems that Quantum Information has been seriously considered as something very important for fundamental physics, and in particular, to quantum gravity.
For example, this is the topic of this year's prospects in theoretical physics. So we see that it seems some quite big names on the community, which are mainly focused on purely theoretical and fundamental problems, like Witten and Susskind, are taking Quantum Information quite seriously on this. The program description of this event says:
PiTP 2018 is titled "From Qubits to Spacetime," and will cover topics ranging from the connections between quantum information and the strucuture of spacetime, to how information is manipulated by the dynamics and how quantum effects can be included in black hole thermodynamics.
Now, on the other hand, every time I begin taking a look on it, it appears to be the opposite. It seems the deal with Quantum Information is all about how to produce a quantum computer. So it seems in the end, that the deal with Quantum Information is not exactly on "how does nature behave fundamentaly", but rather, "how can we harness nature's quantum behavior to create technology".
This can been for instance in quantum algorithms, quantum error correction, quantum criptography, and so forth. So, as in computer science, this seems to have the clear intention not on understanding nature very deeply, but rather on harnessing it to create technology. In particular here one is trying to use the properties of quantum systems to create better computers.
This is all nice in itself, but I can't seem how all of this can be connected to fundamental physics to the point of being related to quantum gravity, string theory, and so forth. I mean, what nature cares about algorithms, error correction and cryptography? These are things that are of interest for us, humans, which want better technology. I'm failing to imagine why a fundamental force of nature as gravity, in its most fundamental form, would even be related to these things.
So the question here is: if on the one hand, quantum information seems extremely tied to technology development in computer science, how can it be so important as it seem to be, in the understanding of fundamental physics and in particular, quantum gravity and string theory?
Edit: Perhaps the OP wasn't clear. I'm not asking, what is the intent of quantum information. I'm saying the following: if we search on the web about QI, we mostly find applied stuff aimed at quantum computers. Algorithms, codes and so forth. Nature doesn't care whether or not we build computers. So how can these things (algorithms, codes, etc) have any relation whatsoever with nature's fundamental workings, and for example the nature of spacetime (see citation above)? That is the objective question. I'm not saying a field can't have an applied and a theoretical part. Obviously it can (as far as I know, GR has been used in the development of the GPS). What I'm failing to see is where the theoretical part is on QI. Is how a field that seems to be pure computer science have anything to do with fundamental physics.