Session Recap
Technology & the Future of Work Committee
79th CSG West Annual Meeting
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Challenge of Governing What You Can’t Yet See
State legislators are accustomed to governing problems that are already visible. Quantum computing presents a different kind of challenge. Quantum AI merges quantum computing with machine learning, using qubits instead of traditional computer bits to process vast amounts of data at the same time. This could accelerate AI processes and help solve complex mathematical problems that current computers struggle to handle efficiently.
The technology is still maturing, still noisy, and still years away from many of the applications expected to transform industries and challenge the encryption systems that protect digital transactions. At the same time, decisions legislators make today about workforce pipelines, cybersecurity migration, data center infrastructure, and research investment will determine whether their states are positioned to lead or will be forced to catch up.
Data centers present the inverse challenge: they are already here, rapidly multiplying, and generating community backlash in across the West before most legislators have developed the oversight tools to govern them. Within the next decade, Phoenix will have more data centers than any city in America. Questions about water use and energy demand are no longer hypothetical. Neither are concerns raised by local communities. Yet in many states, the legislative capacity to address these issues is still being built. These two issues—quantum computing and data center oversight—anchored the CSG West Technology and the Future of Work Committee session at the 79th CSG West Annual Meeting. Co-chaired by California Senator Catherine Blakespear and Arizona Representative Justin Wilmeth, the session featured quantum researchers from the University of Utah and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, alongside oversight expert Ben Eikey of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. As Senator Blakespear noted, the session was intended not only to inform, but also to empower legislators.
Key Takeaways
1. Quantum computing is advancing faster than many realize.
- We are in the NISQ era: Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum. Quantum computing machines currently exist but remain error-prone. Fault-tolerant machines, which will unlock transformational applications, require error rates roughly 100 times lower than today’s best.
- Error rates are improving: Quantum error rates improved from roughly 10⁻² in 2020 to 10⁻⁵ today. IBM and other vendors now project quantum advantage in the early 2030s, and that timeline has been moving forward.
- Quantum computers will complement—not replace—classical computers: They are expected to function as co-processors for specific high-value tasks such as optimization, molecular simulation, drug discovery, financial modeling, and AI training.
- Potential speed gains are extraordinary: D-Wave, a quantum computing company founded in 1999 and recognized as the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, has demonstrated certain computations completing in 20 minutes that would take a classical computer one million years.
- Energy efficiency could be a long-term benefit: The energy savings potential of quantum computing offloading could meaningfully offset the energy demands of classical data center infrastructure over time.
“Quantum computing is not some magic. It’s not going to break all the computing things we’ve developed for the past 50 years. It’s just a new way of programming—a new co-processor, just like the revolution with GPUs and AI.”
– Professor Rohan Basu Roy, University of Utah
2. The cybersecurity threat is certain: Only the timeline remains unclear and states must act quickly to prepare.
- The underlying mathematics are proven: Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms—established mathematics—would break RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman,) a widely used public-key cryptosystem for securing data transmission, and elliptic curve cryptography when run on a sufficiently large quantum computer.
- Federal timelines are accelerating: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized the first post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024. The federal government moved its post-quantum migration deadline from 2035 to 2030, just weeks before this session.
- States have an opportunity to lead: Few states have established their own post-quantum migration deadline, creating an opportunity for CSG West member states to become early leaders by developing migration plans now.
- Cryptographic diversification remains essential: The new NIST standards cover only four encryption schemes. Because cryptographic standards ultimately become vulnerable over time, diversification of their mathematical foundations remains both critical and underfunded.
- New Mexico is investing early: The state has invested $315 million in a quantum research center, $185 million in quantum-focused venture capital, and $120M in evaluating commercial viability—a potential model for proactive state investment.
“The cybersecurity threat is imminent. I would want all of us to act now on a post-quantum migration plan. Otherwise, internal or external hostile actors are going to compromise national security.“
– Professor Pratik Soni, University of Utah
3. States must build a quantum workforce pipeline that begins in K–12 and extends across the education continuum.
- Two workforce gaps are emerging: Frontier research and development (R&D) – including PhD-level physicists, cryptographers, and error-correction specialists—requires long-term investment, while the deployment of engineers, technicians, and programmers who can work with quantum systems as they commercialize is an urgent priority.
- Early workforce investment in action: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Q-Camp educates high school students and teachers simultaneously, reaching roughly 300 participants so far and expanding into community colleges nationally.
- Western partnerships are developing: The Quantum Systems Accelerator, the only Department of Energy quantum research center in the West, has built a partner network that is roughly half Western institution based.
- National laboratories are a resource for states: States without major quantum programs can partner with national laboratories for access. In-state concentration is not a prerequisite.
- Federal actions are currently underway: The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act is currently before Congress. Presenters discussed the role state legislators can play in engaging with their federal counterparts on the proposed legislation.
- STEM fundamentals remain a strong investment: Fundamental computer science and physics education—not just for quantum-specific programs—provides the strongest foundation for adapting to unpredictable technological shifts.
4. Rapid data center growth is outpacing still-emerging oversight infrastructure.
- Data center growth is accelerating in the West: Phoenix is on track to become the U.S. city with the most data centers in the United States within the next decade. While Virginia leads the nation at the state level, Western states are rapidly closing the gap.
- Community concerns are growing: Community opposition to data center development is intensifying, reflected in moratoriums, public protests, and legislative resistance. Presenters noted the growing association between data centers and perceived technology-industry overreach as politically consequential.
- Key unanswered questions in most Western states: How much water do data centers consume, and what risks do they post to water supply? Who bears the utility cost burden—data center operators or residential ratepayers? What protections exist for sensitive state data processed by third-party data centers?
- South Carolina has a model worth examining: The state created a dedicated AI and cybersecurity regulatory review committee with seven subcommittees and a public dashboard tracking more than 130 reviewed rules.
- Virginia has produced a leading oversight roadmap: Virginia’s s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report on data center oversight—covering economic, fiscal, energy, and local impact—was cited as the most comprehensive state-level analysis produced to date.
- State oversight structures are emerging: Connecticut, Mississippi, and Texas all have active oversight structures in various stages of development.
“There’s a clear void of facts breaking through. Legislatures are uniquely positioned with the power of the office to get the facts on the record and take advantage of the opportunity in front of us.”
– Ben Eikey, Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
5. States already have the oversight tools. Their effectiveness begins with clear legislative responsibility.
- Existing oversight tools provide a strong foundation: The Levin Center’s six oversight avenues—including oversight partners, appropriations, committee oversight, advice and consent, contract monitoring, and administrative rule review—were presented as existing tools available to legislatures.
- Legislators can begin with factual questions: An interactive exercise demonstrated how legislators can formulate factual questions on data security, water use, and ratepayer protection, while using existing legislative authority to answer them.
- Assign responsibility clearly: Presenters described the value in establishing a bipartisan oversight committee or task force specifically assigned to AI and data center oversight. Without a clearly assigned body, these issues may struggle to receive sustained legislative attention.
- Gather firsthand perspectives: Conduct field hearings, visit data centers and utilities commissions, and hear directly from communities.
- Oversight should be a continuous process: One hearing does not constitute effective oversight. Return in three months, six months, and beyond with more questions as implementation evolves.
- AI can strengthen legislative capacity: AI tools can help enhance oversight capacity, particularly for part-time and citizen legislatures with limited staff resources.
What’s Next for Technology Policy in the West?
The session identified several immediate actions for Western state legislators to consider.
- Post-quantum migration assessment: Conduct a state-level inventory of systems that rely on classically secure but quantum-vulnerable encryption, beginning with state agencies and university systems. Speakers cautioned against waiting for the federal 2030 deadline to cascade downward.
- National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act: Engage with federal counterparts on passage of the legislation and the inclusion of workforce development provisions that address both frontier R&D and deployment pipelines.
- Assign responsibility for data center oversight: Designate a legislative committee, task force, or interim study to oversee data center development before the next legislative session begins.
- Prepare for the quantum-AI connection: the computer power required to train the next generation of large language models will increasingly require quantum infrastructure. Legislators who understand data centers today will be better positioned to govern AI tomorrow.
The CSG West Technology and the Future of Work Committee’s AI Workshop report, published October 2025, remains available on the CSG West website. Ben Eikey and the Levin Center’s State Oversight Academy are available to assist states developing oversight frameworks, and all three panelists are available for follow-up engagement with state legislative offices.
Resources
- PowerPoint: Quantum Computing 101, Rohan Basu Roy, Assistant Professor, Kahlert School of Computing and SCI Institute
- PowerPoint: Legislative Oversight, Ben Eikey, Manager of State Training and Development at the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
- PowerPoint: Quantum at National Laboratories, Chris Spitzer, Quantum Research Program Manager, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
- PowerPoint: Preparing America’s Post-Quantum Workforce, Pratik Soni, Professor, Kahlert School of Computing, University of Utah