AI may be soaking up the limelight at the moment, but quantum computing is the future. Up until now, it has soaked up sci-fi headlines aplenty (it plays a major role in Netflix's upcoming "3 Body Problem" series, for example.)
While most quantum concepts have been hypothetical until now, though, it is nearing a degree of real-life application that could be revolutionary. In fact, it isn't going too far to say that quantum is the latent technological superpower that, once realized, will truly redefine life as we know it.
While quantum is still in its infancy, it is quickly gaining momentum. Here are a few trends in the fledgling quantum industry that are worth watching heading into 2024.
Developments in Quantum Algorithms
Algorithms are an earlier step that researchers must sort through before they develop quantum hardware and make it functional. EY's quantum research team is blazing the trail in this area heading into 2024. The company's Global Innovation Quantum Leader, Kristin Gilkes, shared about recent algorithmic breakthroughs at the Quantum World Congress 2023.
During her presentation, Gilkes revealed that while working on a case study regarding DNA sequencing, her team discovered a unique algorithm that is applicable to more than just genomics. It enabled them to interact with a sequence in a repeatable and multi-applicable manner.
"I like to call it a recursive algorithm," Gilkes said, explaining that her team has dubbed it "shift and compare." "We were able to take part of a sequence and disassemble it," she elaborated, "and then we were able to create a compare function and then shift."
This is unique, valuable, and publicly available because it provides greater utility with quantum hardware. Outside of quantum, this could help with existing genomics activities. Within quantum, it has further potential in areas such as quantum mesh for quantum networking and quantum communication.
Gilkes also recently co-authored a white paper with the Vice President of the Dell Research Office, Ken Durazzo, highlighting further breakthroughs from their respective companies in the area of quantum research.
Breakthroughs in Quantum Hardware
When it comes to quantum computing, hardware tends to be an afterthought. As Gilkes outlines, the evolution of quantum computing tends to follow a certain trajectory. Usually, this starts with ideation in classical environments, works up to simulators, and uses correction tools. Only then can researchers, as Gilkes refers to it, "play in the quantum hardware box."
Despite its late-stage place in the development process, quantum hardware is starting to take significant strides. There are areas of the quantum industry where hardware is approaching more usable stages. IBM already has a quantum computer that runs at 433 qubits and is soon expected to release a 1,121 qubit system called "Condor."
In addition, quantum photonic chips (which use individual photons as qubits) continue to develop rapidly. They are poised to become an integral part of developing quantum networks. This is an area with enormous potential that those invested in quantum computing should watch closely moving forward.
In December 2023, IBM also made a splashy announcement regarding quantum processors at their IBM Quantum Summit in New York. The company has unveiled its IBM Quantum System Two. The device runs on a new line of quantum processors called IBM Quantum Heron, which is focused on utility. IBM claims it has spent the past four years developing the hardware, which has the company's highest quantum processor performing metrics (and lowest error rates) to date. Future iterations of the Quantum Heron line are also worth watching.
Industry Applications for Quantum Computing
Whether it's ideation, testing, or hardware, few quantum-related developments are as exciting as application. This is where the near-infinite promise of quantum is beginning to take shape—the potential utility is off the charts.
According to industry publication Wind-IS, "2024 marks the transition of quantum computing from buzz to tangible benefits." As with AI, this leap from concept to reality will have an impact everywhere as it ripples through business and life in general.
Wind-IS projects that the ability to harness the power of things like quantum entanglements and superposition will take computing to all new levels. These quantum applications will provide value across the board. Banks and financial services are poised to benefit from enhanced fraud detection and risk management, and AI systems as a whole will improve from this robust form of technology.
In addition, if things do develop at the forecasted rate, research fields that depend heavily on computing power will experience huge upward momentum. Cryptography, meteorology, drug discovery, and the aforementioned genome sequencing are just a few examples of beneficiaries of the new computing power. Even the search for extraterrestrial life will be easier to execute.
The Future Is Bright for Quantum Computing
AI was in the spotlight in 2023 not because it was new but because ChatGPT and similar software suddenly made it real and applicable. Quantum computing doesn't appear to be far behind. If these trends continue to develop rapidly heading into the upcoming months, there is a good chance that 2024 will be a watershed year for the quantum realm, too.
This could come from exciting new algorithms or finally reaching a point where we have hardware that can take advantage of them. Critically, the impending utility of certain quantum technologies seems to lie just around the corner, promising life-changing applications in the not-too-distant future that, like AI, could once again redefine life as we know it.
