  The `XIIIth Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum' conference
(Confinement 2018) contained a `Round Table Discussion' on the status of the
determinations of the strong coupling $\alpha_s(m_Z)$ as well as prospects for
future improvements. In this contribution, we summarize the different aspects
of the discussion. In particular, we cover $\alpha_s$ determinations from
inclusive observables, such as the hadronic decays of the $Z$ boson and the
$\tau$ lepton; from global fits of parton distribution functions (PDFs); from
high-energy collider observables, and from event shapes; as well as from
various observables computed by lattice QCD, specifically from the QCD static
energy. There is overall good agreement between these various determinations,
but there are also outliers, differing from the world average by up to $-5\%$.
Nevertheless, the general agreement constitutes a beautiful and significant
test of the detailed nature of the strong interactions, and provides a crucial
input for high-precision calculations in QCD and beyond.
