Google plans to release commercial quantum computing apps within the next five years.
The mentioned statement was made by the founder and lead of Google Quantum AI Hartmut Neven during a conversation with media representatives. It is worth noting separately in this case it was actually refuted Nvidia’s prediction that commercial quantum computing apps would become a reality in the digital space in 20 years. It is possible that Google adheres to an overly optimistic view of the relevant prospects. At the same time, such statements typically receive a practical justification, even if not as detailed as possible, before becoming public information.
Hartmut Neven said the company is optimistic that within five years it will see real-world apps that are only possible on quantum computers.
The real-world apps that Google is discussing are related to materials science. In this case, the digital product can be used to create new drugs, develop superior batteries for electric cars, and potentially discover new alternative energy sources.
It is worth noting that currently, within the framework of a large-scale public technological discourse, there is no consensus on when exactly a breakthrough will occur in the area of quantum computing, sufficient to implement scenarios for the specific practical application of advanced technology. In this case, the forecasts of experts and investors are extremely diverse. There is still no clear understanding of when exactly the mentioned breakthrough will happen. Some forecasts suggest that a qualitative surge in the development of cloud computing will occur in a couple of years. At the same time, other projections are based on the assumption that the corresponding technological reality will be realized no earlier than 20 years.
Quantum computing has been a topic of discussion among scientists for decades. In this case, the main vision is to develop machines that are thousands of times more powerful than traditional computers. In the corresponding context, it is worth clarifying that computers familiar to users process information one number at a time. At the same time, quantum computers leverage qubits that can represent several numbers at once.
Governments and businesses are closely monitoring the development of quantum computing. A breakthrough in this industry can disrupt modern cybersecurity and other environments, including finance and healthcare.
In a certain sense, quantum computing is similar to artificial intelligence. Before the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, the topic of machine intelligence was discussed mainly among scientists who were gradually making progress in their work. At the same time, there was no clear understanding of when artificial intelligence would become commercially useful. There is also likely to be what can be described as a ChatGPT moment in the area of quantum computing. The corresponding wording means the debut of a product that demonstrates the unambiguous and explicit commercial and practical usefulness of the technology. It is worth mentioning that it was after the launch of ChatGPT, which has impressive abilities to process huge amounts of information and generate original content, that the so-called artificial intelligence boom began in the world.
Nvidia’s chief executive officer Jensen Huang stated that emerging quantum computing is much more than five years away. Last month, at an analyst event at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, he said that practical use of quantum computers would come in about 20 years. In his opinion, these deadlines are the most realistic.
Jensen Huang’s comments ripped about $8 billion in market value from a handful of quantum computing stocks. This sector was given a boost in December when Google announced that its new chips could crack a crucial challenge in the relevant industry. The Internet search giant has been working on its quantum computing program since 2012. During this time, the company has designed and built several quantum chips. In December, Google announced that its newest microcircuits of the appropriate category could solve a computing problem in a matter of minutes that classical computers would take more time to solve than the history of the universe.
On Wednesday, February 5, the company’s quantum computing scientists announced another move on the path to real-world apps within five years. In a paper published in the scientific journal Nature, the scientists stated that they had discovered a new approach to quantum simulation. According to them, this approach is a move on the path to achieving Google’s objective.
As we have reported earlier, Google Opens Its Most Powerful AI Models to Everyone.
