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Google’s Willow Chip Sparks $97B Quantum Race, Threatens Encryption

4/28/2026

36 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Google unveiled the Willow quantum chip in December 2024, saying it can solve a problem in five minutes that would take supercomputers 10 septillion years.
Forrester analyst Brian Hopkins said the quantum sector could be worth up to $97bn (£74bn) by 2035.
Prof. Alan Woodward warned encryption could be broken by a quantum computer around 2030, prompting Apple and Signal to deploy post-quantum keys.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 Peter Shor introduced an algorithm that could factor integers on a quantum computer, exposing a threat to RSA encryption. IBM built a five-qubit processor in 1998 that demonstrated the algorithm by factoring 15, proving the concept. Building on that legacy, Google released the Willow chip in December 2024, prompting firms like Apple and Signal to adopt post-quantum keys.

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Story summary

Google unveiled the Willow quantum chip in December 2024, saying it can solve a problem in five minutes that would take supercomputers 10 septillion years.
Forrester analyst Brian Hopkins said the quantum sector could be worth up to $97bn (£74bn) by 2035.
Prof. Alan Woodward warned encryption could be broken by a quantum computer around 2030, prompting Apple and Signal to deploy post-quantum keys.

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