By Susana Martinez
Eighty years ago, New Mexico played a pivotal role in helping America win a global technology race against an authoritarian power. By developing the atomic bomb, New Mexico helped shift the course of World War II and ensure our security prosperity and the advancement of American values.
Today, we face a new global technology race, and New Mexico is again poised to lead the way. But this time, our adversary is not Nazi Germany — it’s the Chinese Communist Party, which is investing trillions in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other frontier technologies that will define global power and leadership in the 21st century.
Thankfully, New Mexico is once again answering the call, especially in quantum technologies. The January announcement that Quantinuum will build a cutting-edge research and development center in the state follows Elevate Quantum Hub’s major grant award to drive regional leadership in quantum technologies for cybersecurity, AI and health care, as well as New Mexico’s expanding role in the National Quantum Initiative. Together, these efforts position the state as a key pillar in America’s race to lead in the next era of technological innovation.
Quantum computing isn’t just an upgrade from today’s technology — it’s a revolutionary leap in computing power. By harnessing the properties of quantum physics, these machines can perform calculations millions of times faster than today’s most powerful supercomputers. A recent report by the Lexington Institute and American Edge Project noted that Google unveiled Willow, a 105-qubit quantum chip that completed a computation in five minutes that would take a supercomputer 10 septillion years.
Quantum technology will have a powerful impact on AI, which is projected to create millions of jobs and drive substantial innovation by 2030 but requires huge amounts of processing power. Quantum computing can potentially improve and increase AI’s capabilities by enhancing the speed of problem solving and removing constraints on data size and complexity, creating massive economic and innovative opportunities for our state and our nation.
Continue reading at Albuquerque Journal.