In a recent note on quantum computing, analysts at Bank of America had to reach way back\u2014way, way back\u2014for a comparable advancement in human history.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the use of subatomic particles to process data offers the potential to leap light year ahead of what\u2019s possible with traditional semiconductor-based electronics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could be the biggest revolution for humanity since discovering fire,\u201d they wrote on Wednesday. \u201cA technology that can perform endless complex calculations in zero-time, warp-speeding human knowledge and development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scientific evidence suggests early humans began using fire in a controlled way hundreds of thousands of years ago, and perhaps even 1 millions years ago.<\/p>\n
So how does quantum computing compare to that? Theoretically, there\u2019s no calculation a quantum computer can\u2019t do, BofA said, adding that it could \u201cchange everything,\u201d by creating new drugs and materials, increasing longevity, and enhancing encryption and logistics, to name just a few examples.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the artificial intelligence revolution that\u2019s also underway could get turbocharged by quantum computing, and vice versa. <\/p>\n
\u201cGenAI can help speed up the development and testing time of quantum systems, which could take AI model training to the level of Artificial Super Intelligence,\u201d BofA said.<\/p>\n
There have already been major milestones in quantum computing. In 2023, Google<\/a> said its Sycamore quantum processor completed a calculation in 6 seconds that would\u2019ve taken the top supercomputer 47 years. <\/p>\n And in December, Google said its\u00a0Willow quantum chip<\/a> solved a problem in less than five minutes that would\u2019ve\u00a0taken\u00a0the world\u2019s fastest supercomputer 10 septillion years (or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years).<\/p>\n But a quantum computer has yet to solve a useful real-world problem faster than a classical computer could, BofA pointed out. That\u2019s because qubits, the fundamental units of quantum information, still suffer from too much \u201cnoise,\u201d or disturbances that can lead to computation errors.<\/p>\n In January, Nvidia<\/a> CEO Jensen Huang said the most exciting developments in quantum computing are more than a decade away<\/a>.<\/p>\n