By Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research
KEY POINTS
- Quantum computing technologies are rapidly progressing toward demonstrating application advantages for business and science.
- And while this progress creates risk to today’s encryption schemes, quantum-safe cryptography solutions that exist today will protect our most-critical data.
- The time is now for entire industries to understand how they can benefit from quantum computing, for organizations to educate their workforce — and for everyone to have a quantum-safe cryptography migration plan.
It’s been called the next big wave in computing. And it has the potential to revolutionize our approach to solving big problems, from how we discover new materials for a sustainable future to life-saving drugs to how we manage financial risk. I expect this to be the decade quantum computing arrives, but what exactly is it — and how does it impact the business world?
In short, it’s a way of computing that uses quantum physics to process information in a completely different way. Quantum computers approach complex problems differently by creating entangled multidimensional spaces where the patterns linking data can become clearer. Basically, they can find patterns that classical computers can’t. That means we have a completely new and different way to explore complicated problems that today’s computers can’t solve efficiently.
For the first time in the history of modern information technology, we will witness a fundamental new branch of computing emerge. As a scientist, I am thrilled about the possibilities of computing in the quantum realm, and as a business leader, I find these advances striking, particularly when I think about the potential applications. Carmakers, airlines, energy companies, healthcare providers, financial services firms and research organizations are already looking into quantum computing as a way to discover new products and services they could hardly have imagined a few years ago.As quantum computing becomes a reality, here’s what business leaders need to know.
Where quantum computers can help
Businesses are already looking at how they can use quantum computers to improve logistics, predict the price of financial options and research new materials for batteries. Daimler AG, for example, has been investigating how quantum computing could help develop next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries that could be more powerful and last longer than what’s available today. Bosch has begun exploring use cases in the field of materials science for fuel cells, electric engines and advanced sensors. And banks like HSBC are exploring the potential of quantum computing to develop new approaches to derivatives pricing, sustainability, risk and fraud.
Of course, it’s not always easy to know which problems a quantum computer can help with. That’s why businesses interested in how they could benefit from quantum also need to be thinking about the skillsets necessary to make the most of the new technology.
“As a scientist, I am thrilledabout the possibilities ofcomputing in the quantumrealm, and as a business leader,I find these advances striking,particularly when I think aboutthe potential applications.”
How to build a quantum workforce
Right now, 29 universities worldwide have master’s degree programs in quantum technologies. I see an opportunity for businesses to step in and help higher education train tomorrow’s workers, including undergrads, with the skills they’ll need to help industry apply quantum computing. IBM is already working with almost 100 academic institutions around the world, including two dozen historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), to help educate traditionally underrepresented students in quantum information science.
Another source of talent will come from upskilling the existing workforce by teaching them how to program today’s quantum computers. Tools exist today that can translate common programming languages into a language the quantum computer understands — making it easier for quantum computers to tackle a unique industry problem.
Although businesses will need highly skilled personnel to help put quantum computing to work, some areas of the technology will be familiar and integrate seamlessly with existing operations. Because quantum computing is delivered over the cloud, for example, most companies will not need to maintain the computers themselves. That means businesses can incorporate quantum computing into their existing hybrid cloud architectures.
I often get asked, how many employees should I dedicate to exploring quantum computing? The answer is never zero.
Act now to keep your business secure
Amid the buzz about quantum computing are concerns that these machines will be able to break modern encryption — and business leaders are right to be concerned. While there’s been recent speculation that an algorithm, designed for classical computers, might be able to harness existing quantum computers to crack today’s most widely used protection schemes, let me be clear: this research has not been verified, and we have a long way to go before any quantum computer has the capability to decrypt RSA-protected data.
However, bad actors are already using an approach best described as “harvest now, decrypt later,” which means data can be stolen now and stored in the hopes of using a future quantum system for decryption. Thankfully, new quantum-safe approaches to encryption exist, have been verified by peer review-published research, are under consideration for government standards and can already be put in place to protect data and systems now for when that day comes.
Plan for the future of computing
Government funding and attention has raised quantum computing’s profile higher than ever, in part thanks to the National Quantum Initiative and the CHIPS and Science Act. These laws help fuel the future of quantum by accelerating research, expanding the quantum supply chain and providing more opportunities for researchers to explore business and science applications of quantum systems.
The bottom line for businesses is that now is the time to figure out how you’re going to take advantage of quantum computing. A true quantum industry is emerging with a growing ecosystem of startups, academia, national labs and industry partners using quantum computing devices every day — and this is just the beginning.
Article link: https://www.cnbc.com/advertorial/2023/02/07/what-business-leaders-need-to-know-about-quantum-computing.html
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