The Quantum Computing Race and Why It Matters
December 25, 2025 · Frisian News
China, the United States, and Europe race to build practical quantum computers that could break current encryption and reshape technology. The competition drives investment but also raises questions about military advantage and security.
IBM posted a video in October showing its latest quantum chip, and the machine performed a calculation in minutes that would take a normal computer thousands of years. That demo matters because quantum computers solve certain problems exponentially faster than anything we have now. Banks want them to crack encryption. Governments want them for weapons design. Tech firms want them to train better artificial intelligence. The race is real, and billions flow to whoever builds one first.
China has poured roughly 15 billion dollars into quantum research over the past five years. The United States responded with the National Quantum Initiative, throwing federal money at companies and universities. Europe launched its own billion-euro Quantum Flagship program. Each side claims progress. Each side keeps actual results quiet. Nobody yet has a quantum computer that works well enough to do anything useful outside the lab, but the arms race mentality drives spending faster than engineering advances justify.
Here sits a hard truth: quantum computers will break most of today's encryption. Banks, governments, and companies that store secrets know this. They also know that any data intercepted and stored now could be decrypted once quantum machines arrive. That creates a pressing problem for anyone handling sensitive information. The industry calls it the harvest now, decrypt later threat. It is not theoretical. Hostile intelligence services are already collecting encrypted data to crack when the machines work.
The race matters less because anyone is close to a working quantum computer and more because nation states treat it as a weapons technology. When governments pour billions into something and keep results secret, they signal that winning brings geopolitical advantage. The United States and China both suspect the other side is ahead. That suspicion alone drives faster spending and less transparency. Europe moves slower and talks more, which may be honest but looks weak.
Quantum computing remains years away from practical use. The engineering problems are brutal. Qubits lose their quantum state instantly if disturbed. Building bigger machines means more errors, not fewer. Scientists must solve these problems before anything real comes out. The race, though, reflects something true: technology that changes power matters to those who hold power, and they will spend whatever it takes to keep up.
IBM liet yn oktober in fideo sjen fan de nijste kwantumchip, en de masine fierde in berekkening út yn minuten dy't in normale computer tûzenen jierren koste soe. Dat demo is wichtich omdat kwantumcomputers bepaalde problemen eksponinsjeel flugger oplosse dan alles wat we no hawwe. Banken wolle se brûke om fersleuteling te kraken. Rigen wolle se foar wappenskipping. Tech-bedriuwen wolle se foar betere keunstmjittige yntelligensjе. De race is echte, en miljarden floaje foar wa't der earst ien bouwt.
China hat de lêste fiif jierren rûchwei 15 miljard dollar yn kwantumundersjok stutsen. De Feriene Staten reagearren mei it National Quantum Initiative en smytsen federale siller nei bedriuwen en universiteiten. Europa lansearjde syn eigen miljard-euro Quantum Flagship-programma. Elke kant bewearje foarútgong. Elke kant hâldt werklike resultaten stil. Nettsjinnis hat noch neammen in kwantumcomputer dy't goed genôch wurket om wat nuttigs bûten it lab te dwaan, mar de mentaliteit fan in wappenwedstrijd driuwt útgaven flugger op as technyske foarútgong rjochtfeardiget.
Hjir sit in hurde wierheid: kwantumcomputers sille it mearderpairt fan de hûdige fersleuteling krake. Banken, rigen en bedriuwen dy't geheimen bewarje, wite dit. Se wite ek dat gegevens dy't no wurde ûnderfongen en bewarre, kinne wurde ûntsjiffere wannear't kwantummaskines beskikber binne. Dit makket in driuwend probleem foar elkenien dy't gefoelich ynformaasje behanelet. De yndustry neamt it de bedrighing no pegge, letter ûntsjiffere. It is net teoretysk. Vijansklike inlichtingsdiensten sammelje al al fersleutele gegevens om te kraken wannear't de maskines wurke.
De race is wichtich net omdat neammen ticht by in werkjende kwantumcomputer is, mar omdat nasjonstate it as wappenteknology behannele. Wannear't rigen miljarden yn wat pompe en resultaten geheim holje, signalisearje se dat winne geopolityk foardiel bringet. De Feriene Staten en China fermoedde allebei dat de oare foarút is. Dat fermoeden allinne driuwt flugger útgaven en minder transparansje. Europa beweget stadichter en prate mear, wat earmtich kin wese mar swak sjen lit.
Kwantumcomputing bliuwt jierren fuort fan praktyske brûk. De technyske problemen binne hurder. Qubits ferlizze hjer kwantumtoestand direkt wannear't se wurde stoart. It bouwjen fan grutter maskines betsjut mear foutkes, net foar. Wetenskippers moatte dizze problemen oplosse foardat wat werklichs nei bûten komt. De race spegelt lykwols wat echte: teknology dy't macht feroaret, is wichtich foar dyjingen dy't macht hawwe, en se sille alles útjaan om by te holdn.
Published December 25, 2025 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân