Earth grapples with a massive hack while China makes a quantum computing breakthrough. Scientists scramble to understand how cybercriminals broke into the PSN using quantum computing. The breakthrough could fundamentally change how computers operate in the future.
The Quantum Computing Breakthrough China Made
It may help businesses create encrypted messages that are impossible to decipher using today’s computers. China appears to have a leg up on the West in this race. This is thanks to its emphasis on quantum computing research and a willingness to take risks that others shy away from.
According to a McKinsey report, the country invested $15 billion in this area. This is far more than any other nation, including the United States. The US only allocated $2 billion through the recently passed CHIPS and Science Act.
The Chinese government also stepped up its investment in colleges that specialize in quantum science. Xi has set ambitious goals for China to become the world’s high-tech leader. Quantum computing is an integral part of that effort.
China also has an advantage in the pool of talent available to push forward quantum computing. The country’s “Thousand Talents” program reaches out to their own. It encourages top Chinese scientists abroad to return home and work in its labs.
Pan, for example, studied in Heidelberg and then returned to Hefei to join the University of Science and Technology of China. Some worry that the Chinese effort to advance quantum computing may not be entirely good.
The Biden administration instituted export controls. These controls limit the sale of key semiconductor technologies to China. These measures might not thwart the development of quantum computers. However, they might slow it down by keeping American companies from selling their products to entities in China.
One thing is clear, though: China is in this race for the long haul. In the meantime, the country has some other tricks up its sleeve. This approach could allow for much more efficient quantum operations than conventional ones.
