Algorithmic Warfare: Spending on Quantum Tech on the Upswing

(NationalDefenseMagazine) Investments in quantum technology are increasing worldwide. “The security implications of quantum technologies, as well as the expected advantage in computing and sensing have caught the interest of the world’s governments,” said Gabe Lenetsky, business development engineer at Keysight Technologies.
China has poured billions of dollars into its quantum programs Other countries accelerating their investments include Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and several Asia-Pacific nations including Japan.
Just last year, India began a $1 billion investment into quantum technologies, he added.
Meanwhile, the United States previously lagged in spending until 2018 when Congress passed the National Quantum Initiative Act “to garner leadership in the areas of quantum technologies and computing,” Lenetsky said.
There are three main areas of quantum research including computing, sensing and communications, he noted.
Quantum computers — which utilize basic units known as qubits rather than 1s and 0s like traditional computers — will play an important role in data encryption including the optimization of computational algorithms for modeling systems, big data and artificial intelligence, he said.
Quantum sensors offer extreme sensitivity for applications of precision timing and navigation through methods like electromagnetic sensing, he said.
Quantum communications will enable secure data pipelines, he noted.
The U.S. government is making investments in a quantum internet. Last year the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago announced they had completed successful tests on what they called a “quantum loop,” which could serve as a precursor for a future national quantum internet.
In a draft final report, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence — which was tasked by Congress to research ways to advance the development of AI for national security and defense purposes — said quantum technology is poised to enable new growth in artificial intelligence.
“As semiconductor manufacturers reach the physical limits of microchip design, leadership in the next-generation computing hardware will be essential to leadership in AI,” said Commissioner Gilman Louie during a public meeting of the group in January. The government should “prioritize quantum computing use cases to create a market for such services and to incentivize the domestic fabrication of quantum computing components.”