De Quantumcomputerwedstriid en Wêrom't It Der Ta Docht
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.
FryskIBM toande yn oktober in fideo fan de nijste quantumchip, en de masine fierde in berekkening út yn minuten dy't in gewoane komputer tûzenen jierren kostje soe. Dy demo docht der ta om't quantumcomputers bepaalde problemen eksponentieel flugger oplosse as alles wat wy no hawwe. Banken wolle se brûke om fersiferring te brekken. Regearingen wolle se foar wapenwikkeling. Tech-bedriuwen wolle se foar bettere keunstmjittige yntelliginsje. De wedstriid is echt, en miljarden streame nei wa't der as earste ien bout.
Sina hat de ôfrûne fiif jier sawat 15 miljard dollar yn quantumûndersyk stutsen. De Feriene Steaten reagearren mei it National Quantum Initiative en goaiden federaal jild nei bedriuwen en universiteiten. Jeropa lansearre syn eigen miljard-euro Quantum Flagship-programma. Elke kant beweart foarútgong. Elke kant hâldt werklike resultaten stil. Nimmen hat noch in quantumkomputer dy't goed genôch wurket om bûten it lab wat nuttich te dwaan, mar de mentaliteit fan in wapenwedrin driuwt de útjeften flugger op as technyske foarútgong rjochtfeardiget.
Hjir sit in hurde wierheid: quantumcomputers sille it grutste part fan de hjoeddeiske fersiferring brekke. Banken, regearingen en bedriuwen dy't geheimen opslaan witte dit. Se witte ek dat gegevens dy't no ûnderskept en opslein wurde, ûntsiferje kinne wurde as quantummasines beskikber binne. Dit makket in driuwend probleem foar elkenien dy't gefoelige ynformaasje behannelet. De yndustry neamt it de bedriging no rispje, letter ûntsiferje. It is net teoretysk. Fijânlike ynljochtingstsjinsten sammelje al fersifere gegevens om te brekken as de masines wurkje.
De wedstriid docht der ta net om't immen tichtby in wurkjende quantumkomputer is, mar om't naasjesteaten it as wapentechnology behandelje. As regearingen miljarden yn eat pompe en resultaten geheim hâlde, jouwe se it sinjaal dat winne geopolityk foardiel bringt. De Feriene Steaten en Sina fertinke elk dat de oare foarút is. Dat fertinken allinnich driuwt flugger útjeften en minder transparânsje. Jeropa beweecht stadiger en praat mear, wat earlik wêze kin mar swak liket.
Quantumcomputing bliuwt jierren fan praktysk gebrûk ôf. De technyske problemen binne dreech. Qubits ferlieze har kwantumsteat fuortendaliks as se fersteurd wurde. It bouwen fan gruttere masines betsjut mear flaters, net minder. Wittenskippers moatte dizze problemen oplosse foardat eat wurkliks nei bûten komt. De wedstriid wjerspegelet lykwols wat echts: technology dy't macht feroaret, docht der ta foar dyjingen dy't macht hawwe, en se sille alles útjaan om by te bliuwen.
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.
Published December 25, 2025 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân