Beyond AI: Inside the Global Quantum Computer Race

Industry Overview & Investment - Quantum computing is attracting billions of dollars in investment, potentially leading to a revolution in computing larger than generative AI [1] - Potential investors are showing increasing interest in the implications of quantum computing, with political and state-level economic support driving its development [2] Key Players & Technology - IBM is a leading company in quantum computing, having developed foundational aspects of quantum information science since 1970 [2] - Quantum computing relies on qubits, which can hold multiple values simultaneously, unlike classical computing's bits that are either zero or one [5] - Error mitigation is currently used to address errors in quantum computers, but this approach is expected to evolve [6] IBM's Developments & Strategy - IBM made quantum computing available on the cloud in 2016, marking a pivotal moment for the field [7] - IBM aims to achieve quantum advantage, where quantum computers outperform classical computers in speed, cost, or accuracy, and expects to see examples of this soon [7] - IBM is targeting a significant quantum computing payoff by 2029, with a roadmap detailing their progress [22][23] Applications & Use Cases - Quantum computing has potential applications in healthcare, such as transforming drug discovery and understanding biological systems [3][16][17] - Financial markets are another target for quantum computing, with applications in portfolio optimization, risk management, and cybersecurity [17][18][19][20] - Quantum computing could benefit agriculture through improved fertilizer production and climate change mitigation [21] Competition & Metrics - IonQ claims its machines are 36 quadrillion (36 * 10^15) times more powerful than competitors' and aims for a fully fault-tolerant 2 million qubit system with costs under $30 million [26][27] - Different companies use various metrics to measure quantum computing progress, including total qubits (IBM), algorithmic qubits (IonQ), and quantum volume (Continuum) [29][30]