It was the year-end story that captivated many but eluded most: “Willow [a quantum processor] performed a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (that is, 10²⁵) years — a number that vastly exceeds the age of the universe,” Google researchers announced in a blog post in December.
One thing, at least, was very clear: Willow, which took five years to develop, can do things far beyond the reach of the typical laptop processor. It has been speculated that one day, it could even prove the existence of parallel universes. In the current one, however, quantum computing has no practical applications.
That is not to say that an unprecedented technological revolution might not be around the corner. Quantum computers, unlike traditional ones that rely on digital bits (1s or 0s), use “qubits” (1s, 0s, or any proportion of both) to perform calculations. While these machines excel at handling complex tasks, their accuracy diminishes as more qubits are added. Willow, however, has found a way to make the system more reliable with each additional qubit.
The possibilities are endless. Quantum-based computers could soon help us discover new cures, design more efficient batteries for electric cars, impact investments and transform companies, and optimize logistics and supply chains. They could even make the Holy Grail of clean energy creation, nuclear fusion, a reality. Or, even better, they could improve weather predictions.
Still, experts estimate that quantum computers will require millions of qubits to unleash their full potential. Willow’s 105 qubits might be inadequate for solving critical problems for people and businesses. Additionally, qubits rely on extremely low temperatures to function; advanced materials and sophisticated setups are necessary. If usage were to scale exponentially, so would costs for companies like Google. Additionally, the prospects of an impending quantum era are already raising regulatory and ethical concerns. Quantum computing could make current cryptography useless, usher in unprecedented levels of surveillance, and lead to a host of other undreamt issues.
