Stagnated Federal Policy Could Hamper US Quantum Programs 

COMMENTARY

Congress is now in recess for the election, and while there will be a lame-duck session, stagnated quantum policy could harm U.S. quantum programs and America’s global position for quantum leadership.  

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing are available today, and they can help solve some real-world public sector challenges. While much of the tech policy focus has been on AI, annealing quantum computing is uniquely able to address optimization to improve emergency response, supply chains and logistics, and critical infrastructure projects. 

Unfortunately, stalled quantum policy could threaten the ability of federal agencies to use quantum technologies in the near term. One of the largest impediments is failure by Congress to act on the National Quantum Initiative Act, which expired more than a year ago. The NQI is a crucial and necessary vehicle for updating U.S. quantum programs in the federal government.

This policy, which has large bipartisan support, passed in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in November 2023, but hasn’t moved since.

Congress must reauthorize and enhance the NQI, including balancing longer-term hardware advancements with developing and deploying near-term quantum applications. Doing so will help ensure that quantum technology is readily available to work on behalf of federal agencies and give the United States a chance to lead with this fast-evolving and incredibly useful technology.

Quantum programs must also include all quantum computing modalities (annealing and gate-model systems) and support applications where quantum works synergistically with other emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and high-performance computing. Properly focused quantum programs are critical to positioning the U.S. globally on quantum research, application development and adoption.

While the NQI remains in limbo, some federal agencies are slowly moving forward to try to identify public sector problems that could benefit from quantum. For example, the Department of Defense has issued a request for information to identify near-term quantum applications geared toward defense. The RFI is the result of language included in fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, drawing a direct line between policy and action in government programs. 

Similarly, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is seeking problem identification in materials science and quantum chemistry. And the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Infrastructure held a workshop earlier this year to identify applications for the Department of Transportation’s different jurisdictions.

A report by the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center has also identified which public sector use cases could benefit from today’s quantum computing technology.  

Although U.S. quantum programs are still being funded, the gap between what these programs need versus their actual implementation will continue to grow unless Congress reauthorizes the NQI and includes language that will rebalance and refocus quantum programs.

As Congress grapples with a stalled NQI, the global quantum market has not slowed down. Current worldwide investments in quantum science and technology exceed $40 billion, and the global quantum technology market is projected to reach $106 billion by 2040. For example, China has committed $15 billion in public funds to quantum technologies alone and allied countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan are investing in near-term application development of quantum computing. 

When Congress returns, there are a dwindling number of legislative days in the lame-duck session. Policymakers must fully reauthorize and expand the NQI by the end of this Congress. 

Failure to do so continues to put U.S. technological leadership at risk and slows the development and adoption of near-term quantum applications across the federal government. 

Allison Schwartz is vice president of Global Government Relations and Public Affairs at D-Wave and has more than 25 years of experience as a public policy strategist. She has expertise in a variety of technology issues including quantum, privacy, fintech, public sector and more. She can be reached on LinkedIn.