If artificial intelligence is the engine of the future, then quantum computing is the fuel. In the United States, Washington is waking up to that fact. While the headlines are still dominated by chatbots impersonating therapists and AI models hallucinating their way through customer service, the grownups in this room (policymakers, scientists, and defense analysts) are quietly pivoting to something far more powerful, and potentially dangerous if we ignore it: quantum.
In 2025, Congress and the White House took a decisive leap, shifting serious attention and funding toward quantum computing, not just as an emerging technology, but as an existential national priority. The reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act, pumping $2.7 billion into the next wave of quantum R&D, isn’t just a budget line, it’s a fire alarm. Add to that the Department of Energy’s push for dedicated quantum research centers through the Quantum Leadership Act, and the bipartisan Quantum LEAP Act, and the message is clear through U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Dick Durbin [D-IL], and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Brian Babin (R-TX): we’re past the speculation phase.
Then we have January Executive Order from President Biden. At the end of his term, quietly but firmly, it mandated the transition to post-quantum cryptography across federal systems, forcing agencies to begin securing data against adversaries who might, five or ten years from now, be able to break today’s encryption like it’s a toddler’s puzzle. This wasn’t just a cybersecurity directive, it was a subtle but significant shift in strategy: acknowledging that the greatest risk to national security isn’t Skynet waking up, it’s quantum waking up elsewhere first.
Texas: The State That’s Already Acting Like a Country
While D.C. inches forward, Texas is playing my favorite characterization of it: maverick trailblazer. Earlier this year, Texas House Bill 4751 passed with broad bipartisan support, creating the Texas Quantum Initiative, and yes, administratively attaching it to the Governor’s Office. Quantum isn’t being handed off to some task force buried in academia or economic development offices. It’s front and center, where it belongs, and I want to keep pushing it to the forefront of WHERE it should belong.
HB 4751 establishes a strategic roadmap for Texas to dominate quantum research and commercialization. From funding quantum infrastructure and manufacturing supply chains to recruiting global talent and supporting workforce development, the Lone Star State isn’t waiting to be invited to the federal party, it’s throwing its own. As outlined in the legislation, put forward by Representative Giovanni Capriglione, the bill calls for direct investment in systems, labs, networking tools, and incentives to attract private sector players.
- Creates the Texas Quantum Initiative
Texas is officially setting up a program to focus on quantum technology - Attaches the Initiative to the Governor’s Office
This isn’t buried in a low-level agency. It’s managed by the Governor’s office, meaning it’s a big deal with oversight. - Forms an Executive Committee
A group of 7 people will be appointed to lead the initiative. They have to come from quantum-related industries, like design, hardware manufacturing, or research. - Develops a Strategic Plan for Texas to Lead in Quantum Tech
The bill requires a detailed roadmap for how Texas will stay ahead in quantum innovation for the next decade. - Focuses on Real-World Use and Commercialization
This isn’t just research in a lab. The goal is to build actual products and start companies using quantum tech. - Invests in Quantum Infrastructure
That means funding physical stuff (like computing systems, networks, and labs) needed to make quantum tech work in the real world. - Encourages Workforce Development
Texas wants to train more students, workers, and professionals in quantum skills, offering programs and support to grow the talent pool. - Coordinates with Private Companies and Research Institutions
The initiative isn’t working alone. It will team up with universities, tech companies, and the federal government to accelerate innovation. - Reports to the Public
The executive committee must regularly report what they’re doing and how it’s helping Texas grow in the quantum space.
This is, in no uncertain terms, Texas doing what it has always done best: betting early on the infrastructure of the future : first oil, then chips, now qubits.
The Quantum Playbook
Back in January, I wrote Quantum or Bust: The Playbook for Post-Silicon Economic Dominance, laying out why quantum is not just another frontier, it is the battlefield for economic dominance.
“Quantum is not about speed, it’s about dimensionality. It doesn’t just solve problems faster—it solves problems we previously thought were unsolvable. From weather systems to cancer models to national defense, it opens a door AI can’t even find.”
Here’s the inconvenient truth: artificial intelligence, for all its flash and venture hype, runs on classical hardware. The very models redefining our industries are already nearing the ceiling of what silicon can support all while necessitating far more energy to maintain it and compete. Quantum doesn’t just break that ceiling, it takes the elevator to another dimension. Unless we’re prepared to rebuild that foundation, AI will stall. Quantum is the engine that allows it to evolve.
And we’re not just talking science fiction. Every time you read a hot take on AI “doing your job,” remember this: the models aren’t improving anymore because of better thinking, they’re just getting trained on more data. Quantum computing, by contrast, represents a fundamentally different kind of processing; one that doesn’t just iterate, it transforms.
Welcome to the Corridor
The most exciting part? Texas isn’t just launching initiatives and writing bills, it’s building upon an entire ecosystem. In The Quantum Corridor, it’s explored how the state’s geography, infrastructure, and regulatory environment create a unique crucible for quantum innovation:
“Unlike Silicon Valley, which built its empire on proximity and hype, the Texas Quantum Corridor is engineered—deliberately designed to enable collaboration between research universities, military contracts, supply chain logistics, and compute infrastructure.”
From the Dallas Metroplex through Austin to San Antonio and Houston, we’re seeing quantum tech companies co-locate with fiber-optic networks, defense contractors, and supercomputing labs. It’s not just hype—it’s geography meeting policy, with outcomes measured in gigahertz and patent filings.
Is Quantum More Important Than AI?
Without quantum, AI is still just math; elegant, incredible, expensive, probabilistic math. It runs on assumptions we already know and only accelerates what we already understand.
Quantum doesn’t do faster — it does different. And different is what changes the game.
If you’re still hedging your bets on artificial intelligence alone, hoping that GPT-9 will outthink climate change or ChatGPT will generate the next miracle drug, you’re on the right track but on the wrong train. The innovation curve will flatten. The algorithms will plateau. The data will saturate.
But quantum? It hasn’t even started.
Texas HB 4751 quietly underscores just how vital thoughtful public affairs work really is; where science, industry, and government converge, it takes more than policy to make progress stick. This kind of initiative doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it’s the result of careful coalition-building, strategic alignment, and the kind of behind-the-scenes orchestration that rarely gets headlines but always shapes them. Let’s get to work.
| By the way! June 17th | Google Austin | 6:15-7:45 p.m. (we’re unaffiliated; just sharing) |
| Join the Austin Forum for an exclusive in-person event at Google’s Austin office Hear directly from whurley, visionary CEO of Strangeworks, as he guides us through the fascinating world of quantum computing. Understand its current capabilities, its promise to revolutionize industries, and how to prepare for its imminent impact. No prior quantum physics degree required! REGISTER HERE |
