The Briefing: IBM and Cisco Chart Quantum's Network Future
Issue #2025W47.5 / November 21, 2025
IBM and Cisco announced yesterday plans to collaborate on networked distributed quantum computing, targeting an initial proof-of-concept by the end of 2030. The partnership aims to physically link multiple large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers to work together on computations involving tens to hundreds of thousands of qubits. Unlike standalone quantum processors that operate in isolated cryogenic environments, this approach would create a quantum computing internet where machines coordinate across different locations to tackle problems that exceed the capacity of individual systems.
The companies will explore microwave-optical transducers and quantum networking units to transfer quantum information between separate processors. IBM expects to demonstrate fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029, with the network layer enabling scale beyond what its ambitious roadmap alone could achieve. For enterprises watching quantum development, the shift from standalone systems to networked architectures signals that practical applications may arrive through coordinated infrastructure rather than waiting for individual machines to reach sufficient power.
Meanwhile, the White House drafted an executive order that would direct the Justice Department to challenge state AI regulations, triggering unexpected resistance from prominent Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The collision between quantum acceleration in one domain and regulatory debate in another highlights diverging approaches to emerging technology governance.
Who Gets to Regulate the Future?
The Trump administration’s proposed executive order would establish an AI Litigation Task Force to override state regulations with a “minimally burdensome national standard,” including withholding federal funding from non-compliant states. The move comes after congressional Republicans failed to attach similar language to the defense bill.
What’s remarkable is the bipartisan pushback. DeSantis called the proposal “federal government overreach,” arguing that stripping states of jurisdiction to regulate AI “is a subsidy to Big Tech” that prevents protection against issues ranging from child safety to data center resource demands. Democratic Senator Ed Markey accused the administration of siding with “billionaire Big Tech buddies.”
The friction reveals something deeper than typical partisan divides. States have enacted targeted rules on deepfakes in elections, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and government AI use. The question isn’t whether AI needs oversight but whether centralized or distributed governance better serves communities experiencing different impacts from the technology. For leaders building AI-dependent operations, the regulatory landscape remains uncertain, but the debate itself signals that social license will be earned through demonstrable benefits, not just technical capability.
Singapore Positions as Asia’s AI Nerve Center
Google DeepMind’s new Singapore research lab will house research scientists, software engineers, and AI impact experts focused on linguistic and cultural inclusivity for the Asia Pacific region. The facility follows the company, more than doubling its APAC team over the past year, and represents the first ground-up research lab DeepMind has built, unlike inherited teams in India and Japan.
Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 and Smart Nation initiatives created the conditions for this expansion. The lab will advance Gemini capabilities while collaborating with government agencies, businesses, and academic institutions across the region. Researchers at Singapore’s A*STAR have already used AlphaFold to pioneer breakthroughs in understanding Parkinson’s disease.
There are clear patterns emerging: AI research is clustering around talent-dense hubs with supportive policy environments. Singapore’s positioning reflects a broader shift where regions actively shape AI development rather than passively consume it. For enterprises, this means access to models and systems designed from the ground up for diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.
In Other News
Bitcoin plunged below $87,000 on Thursday, triggering over $250 million in liquidations within a single hour as the cryptocurrency extended a brutal correction that has erased nearly $1 trillion since early October.
Walmart grew sales nearly 6% to $179.5 billion in Q3, with executives noting consumer demand remained resilient heading into the holiday season.
Waymo added New Orleans, Minneapolis, and Tampa to cities where it plans to launch autonomous ride-hailing services.
A Delaware court ruling on Elon Musk’s compensation could force Tesla to take a $26 billion accounting charge.
Common Sense Media reported that ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Meta AI all failed to properly identify and respond to simulated youth mental health crises, with effectiveness degrading dramatically during longer conversations.
Thank you for reading The Briefing — your nightly rundown of the key stories shaping business, technology, and innovation. If you like what you see, subscribe for free to receive the next editions in your inbox daily (Mon-Fri).