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Quantum Computers Are Here and They’re Real. You Just Haven’t Noticed Yet.
The promise of quantum computers appears to be a revolutionary game-changer for the way we compute. With exceptional computational power, they’ll perform feats unimaginable for any classical supercomputer. The reality of quantum computers hasn’t quite lived up to its hype, however. Claims of “quantum advantage” – problems regular computers can’t solve but quantum computers can – draw criticism from both skeptics and enthusiasts in the field.
Undoubtedly, we’ve seen genuinely impressive advancements, both theoretical and experimental, but many have been contrived “feats” with little real-world applicability. When will quantum computers outperform regular computers?
I’m inching toward becoming an enthusiast. But even for me, parsing through the overhyped noise feels tiresome and pointless. So let’s take a step back. What will quantum technology really do for us? How far have we come? And how should we handle the flow of PR on the sixth so-called ultimate quantum breakthrough of the week?
To discuss these questions (or rather, to sift through the noise), Gizmodo traveled uptown to IBM’s Manhattan office to chat with Jerry Chow, director of IBM Quantum. The following conversation has been slightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Gizmodo: Okay, imagine I’m someone who is just like, “Oh, quantum computing is a load of nonsense.” Why should I care at all about quantum advantage?
Jerry Chow: In the end, I think our goal is to bring useful quantum computing to the world. And a big part of quantum computing is that we have the opportunity to build differentiating computation over what exists today.
There’s a mathematical statement to that, or there are provable algorithms that really show that quantum computers can really outperform classical computing, like factoring large numbers for breaking encryption or simulating very complex molecular structures.
Source: gizmodo.com
