ChatGPT: Quantum Computing’s Promising Future

Experts from various sectors, including government, academia, and private companies, are diligently working to protect the world’s data from the imminent threat of quantum decryption. This technological risk, which could be as significant as the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, may have some positive outcomes. While researchers anticipate the emergence of a quantum computing system capable of breaking RSA encryption, the standard used to safeguard banks, military installations, and numerous other institutions from cyber threats, other quantum technology solutions will likely need to be developed first. One of the critical areas of focus may be quantum sensing.

Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, a subsidiary of Google dedicated to quantum technologies, is confident that we will witness the advent of “scaled, fault-tolerant quantum computers” by the end of the next decade. In his presentation, titled “Quantum’s Black Swan,” delivered at the World Economic Forum, Hidary discussed the risks associated with quantum decryption and the potential breakthroughs that may precede it. Hidary predicts that we will see fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of breaking encryption by 2029-30. His bold predictions are not unique; IBM, considered a leader in the field, also believes it will reach a turning point in quantum computing by 2029, while QuEra, a spinout of MIT and Harvard, claims it will have a 10,000-qubit error-corrected quantum computer by 2026. Any quantum computer with quantum advantage, surpassing classical binary computers in performing practical tasks, could potentially break RSA encryption.

Thankfully, organizations worldwide, including the U.S. government and IBM, are actively working on algorithms and policies that could protect our data if implemented in time. As we wait for the development of quantum computers capable of breaking encryption, there might be a surge in other related quantum technologies. This could manifest in the form of less powerful quantum computing systems that exceed the abilities of today’s binary supercomputers. Quantum sensing, in particular, might play a significant role. Hidary suggests that quantum sensors could address gaps in our GPS system, potentially thwarting attempts to disrupt satellite signals. Quantum sensors could have various applications, such as improving medical diagnostics through real-time body and brain scanning, as well as enabling untethered autonomy in robotics.

Just as AI experts couldn’t have foreseen the impact of ChatGPT a decade ago, it may be challenging to predict how quantum computing will transition from the laboratory to the mainstream. Nevertheless, with the concerted efforts of experts, the development of quantum technology solutions, particularly quantum sensing, brings hope for protecting our data in the face of quantum decryption threats.