White House Invests $2 Billion in Effort to Build First Useful Quantum Computer

The White House convened a Quantum Summit this week, bringing together dozens of quantum policy officials and industry leaders. The primary objective was to accelerate the U.S. effort to build the first fault-tolerant, industrially useful quantum computer, supported by a $2 billion investment.

The summit, held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, addressed critical areas such as supply chain resilience and strategies to meet a 2028 deadline for a quantum supercomputer, a goal previously set by the Trump administration.

While experimental quantum computers exist, the current global race focuses on creating the first machine capable of solving problems using quantum mechanics that classical computers struggle to handle efficiently. Such an "industrially-useful" computer does not yet exist.

Gregg Bartlett, chief technology officer at GlobalFoundries, described the challenge as scaling proven physics to industrial levels and building a domestic semiconductor ecosystem. He acknowledged the 2028 goal as "very challenging" but emphasized that the push itself will significantly advance the field, even if the exact deadline is not fully met.