(Reuters) The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday said it will provide $625 million over the next five years for five newly formed quantum information research hubs as it tries to keep ahead of competing nations like China on the emerging technology.
The funding is part of $1.2 billion earmarked in the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018.
“It’s absolutely imperative the United States continues to lead the world in AI and quantum. We know our adversaries around the world are pursuing their own advances,” U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios said during a White House press briefing announcing the quantum information research funding and another $100 million plus investment into the National Science Foundation’s AI Research Institutes.