By Todd Epp, South Dakota Broadcasters Association
PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — Quantum computing could be the next big technology that South Dakota’s research universities tackle under a bill that received a favorable recommendation from a Senate committee Thursday (Jan. 25, 2024).
Quantum computing, according to Dakota State President Jose Marie Griffiths, is a new field of science and technology that draws on physical science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.
“Its aim is to understand how certain laws of physics can be harnessed to improve the acquisition, transmission, and processing of information,” Griffiths testified.
One of the key applications is in cybersecurity. Griffiths and other proponents say that “bad actors” could use quantum computing to break current encryption methods now used to protect governmental and corporate secrets and information.
Griffiths says time is of the essence.
“The power of quantum computing can also be used for malign purposes by criminals and unfriendly nation states,” Griffith said.
On a more positive note, Griffiths and other proponents said it can be used to enhance decision-making, precision agriculture, national defense, medicine, and the development of new materials.
Griffith says the training of experts and teachers in the field will trickle down to even K-12 education, preparing students for the expected demand of programmers, teachers, and other experts.
SB45 would appropriate a little over $6 million to establish a virtual Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology at DSU, the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The funds would be used to hire faculty and graduate students and to get time on “simulators” that mimic quantum computing.
Governor Kristi Noem recommended the project in her Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Lobbyists from the South Dakota, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City Chambers of Commerce also spoke in favor of the center.
The measure passed the Senate Education Committee on a 6 to 0 vote on to the Joint Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
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