From Slate
What if Quantum Computing Is a Bust?
Chris Jay Hoofnagle and Simson L. Garfinkel
This article is adapted from Law and Policy for the Quantum Age by Chris Jay Hoofnagle and Simson L. Garfinkel, Cambridge University Press.
Headlines regularly hail what appears to be an imminent arrival of large-scale quantum computing. Honeywell spinoff Quantinuum recently announced a performant ion-trap quantum computer. Startups are projecting that they will build ever-larger quantum computing processors and devices. A group of quantum computing companies now make their devices available as cloud services through Amazon. In 2021, the first quantum computing startup went public, listing on the NYSE as IONQ.
Meanwhile, governments are pumping billions into quantum information science. In the U.S., much of this support flows through Department of Energy National Laboratories, meaning that a great leap forward in quantum computing could occur in secrecy and potentially give the U.S. government an advantage over all other actors...
Chris Jay Hoofnagle holds dual appointments in Information and in the School of Law, where he is Professor of Law in Residence. He is faculty director of the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.
