Google, a leading participant in quantum computing research, chose not to accept funds from a recent U.S. government $2 billion initiative for the sector because of what it described as restrictive conditions that would impede its development timetable.
Charina Chou, chief operating officer of Google Quantum AI, disclosed the company's decision at the Semafor Tech Summit in San Francisco on June 10. She said Google "walked away because of 'various conditions that came with the funding'" that would have inhibited the firm's ability to move "at its desired pace toward building a functional quantum computer."
The revelation helps explain why Google - and other notable names such as Microsoft and IonQ - were not included among the nine recipients the Trump administration announced last month. The list of recipients, which was made public in May 2026, comprised a set of companies that were offered letters of intent rather than finalized contracts. Those named included IBM, GlobalFoundries, Quantinuum, PsiQuantum, Rigetti Computing and Infleqtion, among others.
Details about the specific terms attached to the funding package have not been released publicly. It is also unclear whether disbursements could be conditioned on the achievement of technological milestones - a possibility that, according to Semafor citing a person familiar with the matter, has not been fully explained.
Chou was careful to draw a distinction between rejecting this specific program and refusing government collaboration more broadly. She said Google is engaging with Washington "in other ways," and urged the administration to increase support for basic quantum research - the kind of work carried out at national laboratories, with which Google already partners. Her comments suggested Google objects to commercial grants that come with operational constraints, rather than to public investment in the field per se.
At the same event, PsiQuantum co-founder Pete Shadbolt defended government investment in the sector. He said it was "really natural" for the U.S. government to commit funds because quantum computing carries "profound geopolitical implications," and added that "it has national security implications." PsiQuantum is among the nine companies that were named as recipients of the administration's funding.
Chou also pointed to a separate concern with broader implications for the industry: recruiting international academic talent amid the administration's tighter immigration and visa policies. She warned that the United States will need "the best talent from all over the world to make this technology possible," and described the current environment as "challenging," suggesting that limitations on global talent flows could undermine U.S. efforts to maintain a lead over competitors such as China.
Analysts at Cohen & Company Capital Markets, speaking to Semafor, said the omission of Google, Microsoft and IonQ from the recipient list could create a "comparative disadvantage" for those firms in future government contracting opportunities. That is a commercial consideration as agencies begin to incorporate quantum-specific requirements into procurement. Separately, IBM - one of the funded companies - has told investors it expects to deliver its first effective, scalable quantum system by 2029, according to remarks from IBM's vice president of quantum adoption Scott Crowder reported by Semafor.
Context and implications
- Google's decision centers on conditions tied to the funding that it says would slow its R&D cadence for reaching a functional quantum computer.
- The administration's program was announced as letters of intent to multiple firms; specific contractual terms and any milestone-linked disbursement mechanisms remain undisclosed.
- Debate at the summit highlighted two industry tensions: the trade-off between government-directed funding terms and private-sector speed, and the challenge of attracting international research talent under stricter visa rules.