- Media: TechTarget
- Spokesperson: Gourishanker Jha
Quantum computing, overshadowed in recent years by the stunning rise of generative AI, is making quiet — and, in some pockets, accelerated — progress toward realizing its full potential.
This still-emerging technology aims to dramatically speed up the processing of complex mathematical and computational problems, employing the principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum computing, and the related fields of quantum sensing and quantum communication, are poised to affect a variety of industries, from life sciences to financial services and others, as well as the government and defense sectors. Enterprise IT leaders can already explore early manifestations of quantum technology offered by an array of quantum hardware vendors and hyperscalers for access in the cloud — and they might discern some familiar patterns as they do so.
Indeed, the quantum sector has begun to show signs of the evolution that signaled the emergence of conventional computing decades ago. Those trends include a shift toward software development versus a hardware-centric view of computing, previously seen in the unbundling of mainframe software in the 1960s. In addition, the U.S. military’s sizeable commitment to quantum technology, reflected in recent multimillion-dollar contracts, mirrors the Pentagon’s early use of computers such as ENIAC in the 1940s.
Technical challenges, however, block the path of mainstream quantum adoption. Error handling is a particularly difficult challenge, as researchers work to create methods for reducing the large number of errors that commonly crop up in quantum computations. Other issues include the need for more capable algorithms and software that can take advantage of quantum hardware.
Surmounting such hurdles will help propel quantum technology from its current stage, referred to by researchers as noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ), to the envisioned next phase, which the industry has dubbed quantum advantage. That transition will mark the point at which a quantum machine can outperform a classical computer in certain use cases, such as simulation, optimization and cryptography. When it will happen is an open question. Estimates generally range from five to 10 years. But recent advances in software and hardware — and the potential for unexpected breakthroughs — could speed up the arrival of quantum advantage.