The US wants to insulate China on quantum computing
The US is considering new technology restrictions on China, this time targeting quantum computing. All the details
The United States could introduce new export controls to China to prevent the country from accessing advanced technologies for quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
THE RESTRICTIONS ON SEMICONDUCTOR
The plan – revealed by Bloomberg – is not yet well defined. If it were to be implemented, it would be a sort of "follow-on" to the package of restrictions on semiconductors and related machinery announced in October, which led Apple to suspend the use of the chips of the Chinese company YMTC.
THE GOAL OF THE UNITED STATES
Through the limitations on exports – and more generally on the transfer of know-how , including human know-how -, the administration of Joe Biden wants to deprive China of the ability to develop those technologies considered of strategic importance in the economic-political competition between the two powers .
In addition to hindering Beijing in achieving autonomy over critical technologies (the country is still dependent on American machinery or intellectual property), Washington also wants to prevent it from developing dual-use applications, ie that can be used in both civilian and military contexts.
According to Bloomberg sources, the Biden administration is consulting with allies about the new restrictions.
TECHNOLOGY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
In September, the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, gave a speech precisely on the links between national security, economic competitiveness and technology. He spoke of how "computing-related technologies, including microelectronics, quantum information systems, and artificial intelligence" are set to "play a major role in the next decade." He also dwelt on the importance of export control mechanisms to "maintain the broadest possible advantage" over opposing or rival governments.
A year ago, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), the agency responsible for protecting the intelligence systems of the United States and compromising those of hostile countries, published a report on the five technological sectors considered by far the most strategic for the economy and security: alongside artificial intelligence, biotechnologies and autonomous systems, quantum computing and semiconductors appeared.
WHAT IS QUANTUM COMPUTING
Quantum computing is still an experimental technology that allows – simplifying – to enormously increase the computing capacity of a computer (we speak of a quantum computer, in fact), allowing it to solve problems far beyond the capabilities of current calculators.
Unlike traditional ones, quantum computers do not "work" on bits, which are 0 or 1, but on qubits, which can represent various possible combinations between the two values. It is an ability called "quantum superposition" and which allows qubits to "exist" in multiple states at the same time. It essentially means that quantum computers can simultaneously calculate a large number of potential outcomes and arrive at a solution to a problem much faster than conventional computers.
In concrete terms, Bloomberg explains, while a normal computer which was asked to look for a certain name in a telephone directory cataloged by numbers would proceed to look for one number at a time, a quantum computer would be able to scan them all simultaneously.
POTENTIAL AND USES OF QUANTUM COMPUTERS
Once established – and it will not be easy: qubits need very low temperatures, close to absolute zero – quantum computers will be able to be used to accelerate the development of critical technologies most needed, such as batteries for energy storage or devices for capturing CO2 emissions.
Their enormous computing capacities could also be used to undermine today's encryption systems, those designed to protect infrastructures and sensitive data. In fact, these are systems calibrated to resist the computers in circulation today, which would take too much time to arrive at the set alphanumeric combinations. But quantum computers, given their completely different way of working, will be able to "break" the protections with relative ease. In the hands of governments, they represent a formidable weapon.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/stati-uniti-restrizioni-cina-computing-quantistico/ on Sun, 25 Dec 2022 07:30:36 +0000.