* Press release…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined leaders from IBM and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to announce the renewal and the expansion of the IBM–Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute, a forward step for Illinois’ fast-growing quantum and AI ecosystem which highlights the state’s continued commitment to strengthening our workforce to develop the next‑generation of computing.
“I’m pleased to see the IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute building on years of progress and partnership with U. of I. as Illinois innovators pursue critical discoveries in quantum computing and AI,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois’ world-class research institutions, unique industry collaborations, and unmatched research talent position our state at the forefront of global progress, and I look forward to seeing the countless advancements that this expansion will bring.”
“IBM is thrilled to help provide quantum-centric supercomputing to Illinois researchers, alongside an expansion of the IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute’s efforts in AI for systems design,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow. “As the brilliant minds within the Institute discover and test new algorithms, they will drive groundbreaking research to power the applications made possible by AI and quantum computing.” […]
This expansion builds on Illinois’ major public investments to make the state the nation’s center of quantum innovation. Under Gov. Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois has built the ecosystem necessary to make this a reality. The administration has committed $500 million to launch the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) and previously invested $200 million to support the Chicago Quantum Exchange — the first state in the country to make that level of commitment to quantum research.
The IQMP will be on the city’s far Southeast Side.
* From the press conference…
Q: A lot of folks at yesterday’s Chicago City Council meeting expressed concerns about the site, quantum project, environmental considerations, using the lake for cooling, community benefits agreements. What assurances can you offer for them that this development, which a lot of people don’t really understand, probably, will benefit everyone in that area?
Pritzker: Well, can I start with the idea that we have a piece of property on the lakefront that sat dormant for more than 30 years and that has had environmental issues that nobody wanted to spend any money dealing with and so at a bare minimum, let’s start with, isn’t it a good thing to remediate the property and have good use put to it and and bring people who have dollars every day to work there? Because that will benefit the neighborhood.
And indeed, I think I saw a group of neighbors who came together to say, ‘This is good for our businesses in the community.’
Beyond that, though, we’ve also been focused on how do we make sure that we’re bringing even more benefit to the community? That all has been a conversation that PSI Quantum has brought to the fore. IBM also has been involved.
And so I’m really, you know, a little bit bewildered sometimes at complaints that people are lodging. I get that everybody would like something, if something’s going to happen in the neighborhood, everybody would like something to come from it.
I can tell you this, nothing was there before. Nothing was happening before.
So, we’re going to see, I think, a tremendous amount of development that occurs. And I don’t know, you said something about about environmental issues, and I can just tell you the environmental issue was already there. And now again, remediation, putting something very useful on the site.
The the cooling systems that exist for these things have recycled water usage. I mean, that’s, I think, become de rigueur, or, you know, commonplace now, for the when they create, you’re creating these kinds of facilities. So I’m pleased about all the discussion that’s gone on about making sure that it’s environmentally sound. It is, and it’s being reviewed, by the way, by the environmental authorities like the IEPA.
Thoughts?
- Homebody - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 12:46 pm:
“I can tell you this, nothing was there before. Nothing was happening before.”
I’m on board with this, generally speaking. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. It can be frustrating to see economic development of otherwise unused or underused property because everyone wants to get the specific thing they want out of a specific development. Whether we are talking industrial, commercial, or residential development, it plays out over and over and over.
- John Candy and Nuts - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 12:57 pm:
Paging former SACO County Board Member Marc Ayers…
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:08 pm:
The State of Illinois does not print money. Every dime that we spent is a dime that came from somewhere. We’re dropping 700 million on quantum computing and it doesn’t seem like the State of Illinois is going to own any of the technology that we’re paying to develop. I have been dubious about the “return on investment” that the public will see out of this project and no one really seems to be talking about what new revenues we could expect to come from this investment. This isn’t a bridge that many thousands of people get to use every day. It’s research and development costs for a private corporation.
IBM’s market capitalization is about $250 billion dollars.
I’m not sure why they need our help and the Governor hasn’t made a great case for what we stand to benefit from helping them.
===that sat dormant for more than 30 years and that has had environmental issues===
Building something with new environmental issues is not the flex that the Governor thinks it is.
===The the cooling systems that exist for these things have recycled water usage===
This is something we’re learning in other super computing infrastructure is a bit of a lie.
In a vacuum this kind of project might have be less of an issue, but we’re not in a vacuum, and ‘data centers’ are incredibly unpopular and this research facility is a very fancy, very expensive, and has no practical application for public use and no one really seems to be saying what the public gain here is.
We’re grumpy about building a stadium for a 6 billion dollar NFL franchise. One should expect us to be grumpy paying for the R&D for even more well heeled corporations.
- Joseph M - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:15 pm:
I agree with Pritzker here. The quantum campus is a jobmaker in a disinvested neighborhood, and a first-of-its-kind facility that offers Chicagoland the chance to become the world’s hub of quantum tech if the industry develops. Win-win.
But there are a few unlucky background factors:
-a nationwide surge in backlash to data centers and anything remotely related
-local worries about displacement due to ballooning housing costs/taxes
-the media’s bad habit of elevating voices of a few grumpy neighbors above everyone else, portraying a false equivalency and riling up more neighbors
And I think some aspects of community benefits agreements are smart (pollution mitigation, targeted job recruiting, etc.), but just look at what some of the community members are demanding: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xp1w2lnmDs2s_Iompzvfl3gxZnuRmgef/view
1. Protections for Homeowners and Renters, including property tax relief for 30 years, the same tax breaks received by the
developer, Related Midwest.
2. Establishment of a credit union so that local residents can access capital for home improvements, purchases and repairs,
and starting small businesses.
3. Creation of a community center that serves all ages and backgrounds and honors the legacies of former South Works
steelworkers and their families.
4. Construction of new housing on vacant lots that is 50% affordable to local community residents (30% AMI) and sized for
families with 3 to 4 bedrooms.
5. Prioritize the sale of vacant lots to neighborhood buyers, not absentee landlords and outside investors, and prioritize anti-
displacement efforts for seniors and the longest-term residents.
6. Invest in resident-owned solar power to defray souring utility costs and prevent power blackouts or brownouts as a result
of the extreme power needs required by the development.
7. Work with policy makers to establish public transportation access and alleviate food and pharmacy deserts.
Unfortunately for the Southeast Side, demands like this are a big warning to investors, who are now more likely to stay far away from that neighborhood.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:20 pm:
===The quantum campus is a jobmaker in a disinvested neighborhood===
How many millions per job we talking here? And who exactly is getting hired to do what that is from the neighborhood that’s being invested in?
These are questions someone living in the neighborhood should be asking and people living anywhere in the state might be interested in knowing.
=== a big warning to investors===
I don’t think I’d be at all alarmed by my neighbors wanting to same property tax benefits I am getting.
- Original Rambler - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
Agree with JB on this one. It’s about time someone came up with a use for that site. I have confidence that the state will ensure it is built and operated in an environmentally acceptable manner. Can’t say that if the feds were involved.
- ElTacoBandito - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
I think all of the AI hubbub has allowed quantum computing to fly under the radar a little bit. Hopefully this allows the City and State to stay the leaders in this area of technology. I think it is gonna be as much of a game changer as any technology we’ve seen since the start of computers.
- Think Again - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:09 pm:
=And so I’m really, you know, a little bit bewildered sometimes at complaints that people are lodging=
You would think he would have a thicker skin against legitimate concerns raised by some. Not exactly a (Pre-Trump) presidential response.
- Merica - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:20 pm:
The State spends about $100m a year with IBM, so it’s nice IBM gave a little back
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:34 pm:
The remediation alone is a great step
“I don’t think I’d be at all alarmed by my neighbors wanting to same property tax benefits I am getting.” Say the good people of Arlington Heights and Rolling meadows
- Give Us Barrabbas - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:46 pm:
Quantum computing has the potential to make the current data centers obsolete and the potential to make a data center that doesn’t negatively impact the locals. When AI can run reliably in quantum computing we could be seeing breakthroughs in medicine and engineering and a dozen other fields that will catapult our understanding to a new level, the economic and social benefits that might come from this will be as significant as the start of the space age was for our nation, and I want Illinois at the heart of that new epoch. The spin offs from those discoveries will benefit everyone in every socioeconomic class. We’re literally building our future on this plot of dirt. It’s going to be historic.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:48 pm:
===I think it is gonna be as much of a game changer as any technology we’ve seen since the start of computers. ===
I think the issue ultimately is resource competition. The concept of a data center was fine until people discovered how loud they were, how much energy they needed to function, and how they used water and what they wound up doing with the water and the stuff they added to the water. Not to mention the facilities that have implemented their own power generation on site while avoiding regulation.
If quantum computing were widely implemented there would be the same concerns. We spent so long protecting the fossil fuel industry that we’ve failed to build out our overall capacity. We can’t keep burning the remains of things that died millions of years ago to power our computational systems, but the good news is if we tried we’ll probably die from the pollution before we ran out of fossil fuels.
Where we’re at now with the technology it isn’t very clear that we have many practical uses for quantum computers that would be a meaningful advantage over our current systems for most applications.
It’s not like you’re going to have a quantum computer at your desk and we don’t need quantum speeds for most of the things we do. But they’ll be real handy at breaking encryption.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:36 pm:
Schrödinger’s cat walks into a bar… or does it?
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:37 pm:
===I get that everybody would like something, if something’s going to happen in the neighborhood, everybody would like something to come from it.===
“Where is mine?” Royko used to say that should be the motto of Chicago. This is one reason that it’s hard to build projects in Chicago. Everybody wants a piece, so the whole thing grows and grows until it topples over or busts the budget.
- Joseph M - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:37 pm:
@Candy Dogood: “I don’t think I’d be at all alarmed by my neighbors wanting to same property tax benefits I am getting.”
It’s not just the tax benefits. It’s the demand that a quantum computing consortium also creates a credit union. And 4-bed homes available to those making 50% AMI. And a community center. And solar panels — not owned by the builders but somehow by the residents of the neighborhood. And to act as lobbyists for more public transit, and local pharmacies, and grocery stores.
Those aren’t just property tax benefits. Those are neighbors demanding an unprecedented array of perks which would require the quantum campus to spend more money buying off the community than actually building a quantum campus. It’s the epitome of “everything bagel liberalism”. If you’re not alarmed, then don’t be mad if PsiQuantum moves to Austin TX and generates billions of community benefits for residents that never even thought about asking for free solar panels and pharmacies.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:44 pm:
“I’m really, you know, a little bit bewildered sometimes at complaints that people are lodging. I get that everybody would like something, if something’s going to happen in the neighborhood, everybody would like something to come from it.“ - Governor Pritzker
“Ubi Est Mea…Where’s mine?” - Mike Royko
Pritzker says that he gets it, but he clearly does not get it.
Yes, before there was no pie.
You are bringing the pie to Chicago.
“All hail the Great Khan, JB Pritzker, Viceroy of Illinois and Bringer of Pies!”
It is tradition in Chicago, noble Khan, dating back to atleast 1871, that everyone at the table gets a slice of the pie, no matter how small.
Too many times, White leaders in particular have told Black leaders especially “Don’t worry about whose piece is whose now, just help me bake this pie and everybody will be taken care of.” And then the Black leaders found they came back to their community with nothing in their hands but broken promises.
Look, for example, at cannabis licenses.
- Shytown - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:47 pm:
Wow. There are some pretty confident uninformed comments on this thread. If anyone thinks that quantum computing is not going to be an absolute game changer, just like the more conventional systems of today which completely revolutionized how we live and work, then you should do some serious reading on the subject of quantum computing and innovation and get one’s heads out of your behind.
I’ll also add that quantum is not in any way like data centers. And anyone who’s trying to conflate the two should take a step back and check their research. Quantum computing also doesn’t put anything into the air or water or the ground. They use inert gases for crying out loud and super cooled water that will be in a closed loop system that is continuously reused. Facts please.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 4:46 pm:
=== The quantum campus is a jobmaker in a disinvested neighborhood, and a first-of-its-kind facility that offers Chicagoland the chance to become the world’s hub of quantum tech if the industry develops. Win-win. ===
Again, Ubi est mea…Where is mine?
University of Chicago has an annual budget of $5.2 billion. Do you have any sense how few Black families from the southside it employs?
Quantum computing is expected to create “as much as” 191K jobs *across three states*
For the sake of argument lets assume 90K in Chicago alone.
1/3 will require a graduate degree
1/3 will require a bachelor’s degree
1/3 will require an associate’s degree or equivalent training.
So tell me which you think is more likely at this juncture:
- Illinois will provide the resources to train up workers in the surrounding neighborhood for those jobs, or
- The market will bring people with the necessary skills to the neighborhood, forcing local residents out and into who knows where.
What I really want at this point is for Sun-Times or someone to look at real estate transfers in the surrounding neighborhood to see whose buying up the commercial and residential properties on the cheap.
- Shytown - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 7:45 pm:
== It’s not like you’re going to have a quantum computer at your desk and we don’t need quantum speeds for most of the things we do. But they’ll be real handy at breaking encryption. ==
This is such a lol comment. Do you think in the 1950s when the first commercially produced conventional computers were under development that they ever envisioned that some day one of them would fit into our back pocket? Think about what quantum can do given that we’re in the 1950s of quantum computing today. So please, stop.