Texas wants to lead in the next big thing in computing. But is it too late?

Karoline Leonard, Austin American-Statesman
 |  Hearst – Austin Transition

For decades, Texas has been a leader in technology.

From the days in the 1950s when Texas Instruments was revolutionizing the semiconductor industry to now, when big investments are being made in cybersecurity, information technology, data centers and artificial intelligence, the Lone Star State has rarely been afraid of backing the next big thing.

Now it’s doing it again. This time, it’s quantum computing.

Though some say it’s coming late, a bill signed into law last month establishes the Texas Quantum Initiative, a plan aiming to bring the state to the forefront of the rapidly growing technology.

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It’s a natural progression, said Niccolo de Masi, CEO of global quantum company IonQ.

“Texas has always led the computing revolution. If you look at where we were with semiconductors and CPUs and then GPUs, it should be no different for quantum,” he said. “There are other states that are investing heavily in quantum generally across the country and across the globe. But given Texas is the (eighth) biggest economy in the world in its own right, we should be competing in Texas as if we were any other nation or state.”

Many may know the concept of quantum computing from its depictions in popular science fiction books or movies such as “Ant-Man,” a character played by the actor Paul Rudd in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In reality, quantum computing can’t shrink a superhero to the molecular level to pass to different dimensions — but it is key to national security, future medical and pharmaceutical advancements and the internet as we know it.

New possibilities

Quantum computing harnesses the power of quantum mechanics — the behavior of particles smaller than atoms — to solve complex problems that normal computing and supercomputers can’t. Quantum mechanics enables faster calculations and lets computers explore multiple possibilities simultaneously.

Normal computing exists in a binary world, with “bits” — the unit of information in classical computing — representing the value of either zero or one. Quantum computing exists beyond the binary, with quantum bits more commonly known as qubits, capable of representing zero, one or a combination of both.

“This is the biggest revolution in computing in 80 years,” de Masi said. “We’re moving from classical to quantum. We haven’t had this big a leap since the 1940s and 50s with… transistors and resistors. And we’re still in the first inning.” 

Even in later innings, it won’t turn you into Ant-Man, of course, and is unlikely to immediately affect day-to-day life for most people, said William Hurley, CEO and founder of Austin-based quantum computing startup Strangeworks.

But it will enable computers to solve problems that are impossible for even the most advanced artificial intelligence to solve.

“You hear all the time about if we wanted to break encryption with today’s computers, it would take thousands of years, or millions of years, or whatever the number is at the time,” Hurley said. “With a quantum computer, breaking encryption is something that will absolutely happen. People shouldn’t be panicked about it. But if you want to talk about fixing the environmental concerns we have, if you want to talk about things like curing cancers or eliminating diseases or finding new forms of energy, that’s where quantum computers come in. That’s where they’re valuable.”

Though AI has been the subject of much tech buzz in recent years, quantum is coming next. Big tech companies are investing in creating quantum semiconductors such as Google’s Willow chip, Microsoft’s Majorana 1, IBM’s Condor and Amazon’s Ocelot. The topic took over Southwest Conference and Festivals this March in Austin.

China is investing $10 billion to build the world’s largest quantum research facility. The European Union just announced a strategic plan to boost quantum innovation and research.

In the U.S., California and Maryland are leading state-level quantum commitments by creating incentive and investment programs to bring companies and research to their states. Illinois is developing an entire quantum and microelectronics park just outside of downtown Chicago to support the growing field.

Texas ‘a little late’

As Texas throws its hat into the ring, Hurley worries it’s already behind the curve.

“This is the next internet and in the U.S., we’ve benefited greatly from the internet. I would argue that Silicon Valley and a bunch of other areas get a lot of advantage out of that economically that other countries didn’t get,” he said. “This time, there’s going to be a lot stiffer competition. Getting in early is important. We’re not early, we’re late. Maryland already has a big program, Illinois has a big program, California has a big program. We’re coming to the game a little late, and this is going to reshape entire industries.”

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The Texas Quantum Initiative, which Hurley backed, was also supported by de Masi’s Maryland-based IonQ, which is one of the largest quantum hardware and software companies in the world. Its stock spiked in late May when Texas lawmakers were sending the Quantum Initiative bill to Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed it June 20.

De Masi, an Austin resident, said he was ready to see Texas step onto the field — late or not.

“There’s huge opportunities for us because Texas is a leader in all forms of energy production and transmission of energy in a deregulated market,” he  said. “As Texas gets bigger, it becomes a target for bad state actors around the world trying to disrupt one of the world’s biggest economies. And so you need the best cybersecurity equipment today. You also need the internet of the future, and the internet of the future is going to be quantum networking.”

House Bill 4751 established the initiative, creating an advisory committee to lead the Legislature and governor’s office on how best to invest and support quantum research, design and manufacturing in the state. The law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, also creates a fund dedicated to those efforts to be disseminated in grants to companies or higher education institutions.

Even before its passage, IonQ was working to build up quantum infrastructure and companies in the state, from hosting events at SXSW to working alongside Hurley’s Strangeworks.

The industry has been stepping up ahead of the Legislature’s action, though. A decade ago, Hurley said, Texas was home to only a handful of quantum-focused companies. Now, there are at least nine in Austin alone. The University of Texas at Austin also created the Texas Quantum Institute last year to support workforce development and research.

Beyond private and educational investments, this initiative is bringing quantum to the public sector. Hurley said that’s a factor that takes it beyond what the Internet’s impact was in the 1990s and Texans should be prepared for a new world that’s coming quickly.

“In the state of Texas if you look at our economy, it’s built on things like finance up in Dallas. It’s built on energy over in Houston. Technology here in Austin. All of these different industries we have will be dramatically affected by quantum computing,” he said. “There’s not a single part of your life that will not be touched by a quantum computer five to 10 years from now. The next five years are where the leaders will emerge in the industry, in the governments and the states and in the economies. We’re in a very crucial moment in time to get involved in this technology.”