The Next Quantum Superpower? US-China Quantum Competition and the New Global Quantum Scramble Quantum Computing

Speaker: Brandon Williams (LLNL)

Date: 30 July 2024

Speaker Session Summary

The race to achieve quantum computing has significant implications for the future security landscape. Dr. Williams highlighted the current progress, challenges, and opportunities for growth in the quantum computing field. He also discussed China’s rapid progress in quantum computing and emphasized the steps the United States must take to maintain its status as the global leader in quantum computing. Quantum computing, which relies on qubits, could enable hackers to almost instantly download massive amounts of data. Dr. Williams referred to this hacking approach as “hack now and decipher later,” representing a significant security risk for individuals, organizations, and governments. 

Higher education and talent retention are pivotal for countries like China and the United States to enhance their quantum computing capabilities. Dr. Williams stated that the United States maintains a significant advantage in the field of quantum computing, partly due to substantial investments by quantum computing organizations like the Chicago Quantum Exchange in states like Illinois, but mostly because of its ability to train and retain international talent at its universities. Despite trailing the United States, China has improved the quality of its education and its retention rate of international talent. Dr. Williams highlighted this by noting that 60 of China’s leading quantum physicists received training at universities worldwide, including MIT, Colorado, and Cambridge. Additionally, China has made substantial investments in quantum computing and the business ecosystem, making it more crucial than ever for the United States to continue making similar investments in quantum computing. 

For more insights from Dr. Williams on quantum computing, please read his Wilson Center article, “The Innovation Race: US-China Science and Technology Competition and the Quantum Revolution.” 

Speaker Series Recording

Briefing Materials

Biography: Dr. Brandon Kirk Williams is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he researches the intersection of technology and national security policy. His writings on quantum have appeared in Time, calling for a national quantum strategy in Lawfare, and a report titled the Innovation Race and a quantum encryption article for the Wilson Center. Dr. Williams was a 2022-2023 Wilson Center China Initiative Fellow, and prior to that he earned a PhD in Cold War History at the University of California, Berkeley.