PentagonBacked Supercomputer Project Could Price Out Black Residents in Chicago

"Why is there $9 billion for something nobody understands, for something people didn't ask for, when folks here just want a pharmacy, a grocery store, and a chance to stay in their home? This question captures the frustration of residents who see massive government investment in advanced technology while their neighborhood lacks fundamental services and faces potential displacement pressures."

"In 2024, state and city officials signed off on building the project atop contaminated land in one of Chicago's remaining majority‑Black neighborhoods bordering Lake Michigan. Since then, they have committed hundreds of millions in taxpayer money in partnership with the Pentagon's research arm to help build what they say will be the country's first large‑scale quantum computer."

"Quantum computing - a largely unknown but rapidly advancing technology - could, in theory, be used for things like health care or infrastructure. The military wants to use this technology to more quickly deploy and detect missiles and drones, improve communication networks, and to detect or accelerate the use of cyber-attacks."

Chicago officials approved construction of a $9 billion quantum-computing campus in South Shore, a predominantly Black neighborhood, on contaminated land. The project, backed by the Department of Defense and its research arm, represents the country's first large-scale quantum computer facility. Residents like Jerry Whirley learned about the development through community activists rather than government officials. While quantum computing could theoretically benefit healthcare and infrastructure, the military intends to use it for missile detection, drone deployment, communication networks, and cyber-attacks. The neighborhood already faces significant disinvestment, with residents lacking access to basic services like pharmacies and grocery stores. Hundreds of millions in taxpayer money support the project despite community concerns about priorities and displacement.

Read at Truthout