Quantum computing promises breakthrough advances, but serious concerns remain

By Liz Parnell, COO for EMEA, Rackspace Technology

For context, quantum computing is not new. The concept was proposed in the early 80s by Richard Feynman – a physicist who proposed harnessing quantum physics to build a more powerful computer – and Yuri Manin – a mathematician who was the first to conceptualize a quantum computer-, but its potential is yet to be realised. This is because quantum computers are exceptionally difficult to engineer, build and program. Their operations are affected by the slightest vibrations, temperature fluctuations (they require a setting colder than outer space), electromagnetic waves, and other interactions with the outside environment.

That said, breakthroughs in the last few years have raised hopes that these complex machines will move from high-tech labs to mainstream commercial use over the next decade. Azure Quantum from Microsoft is already open for limited preview, while IBM has promised its first quantum computers by 2025. Google, on the other hand, is aiming to build a “useful, error-corrected quantum computer” by 2029.

Why are these companies so invested in quantum computing? Quantum computers can process almost infinite combinations of scenarios simultaneously – finding answers to questions that would otherwise be impossible to solve with classical computers. In 2019, Google’s quantum computer calculated in less than four minutes what would take the world’s most powerful computer 10,000 years to accomplish. This makes these machines valuable to sectors such as oil exploration, production and refining that generate vast amounts of data. That is why Saudi Aramco is exploring the technology to give it the edge in an increasingly competitive market. The oil giant has teamed up with French startup Pasqal to explore quantum computing capabilities and applications in the oil and gas industry.

Meanwhile, the UAE is emerging as a regional leader in quantum computing, looking for the technology to revolutionize sectors from AI to medicine. The country has set up the Quantum Research Centre (QRC) as an international research centre to study quantum computing, AI, autonomous robotics, cryptography and other cutting-edge technologies.

NYU Abu Dhabi hosted the region’s first quantum computing hackathon early this year. Over three days, over 160 participants from around the world tested how quantum computing machines could be applied to tackle challenges in fields ranging from healthcare to energy.

While technology companies and labs rush to bring these products to market, are enterprises ready? The promise of greater power and immensely superior speeds will rapidly drive adoption, but like with many emerging technologies, our collective knowledge and awareness of the risks involved are minimal. If the predicted timelines are accurate, businesses must begin preparing now to be ready in time.

Artificial intelligence is a prime example of this, as one of the leading use cases of quantum. While, in time, AI will unquestionably disrupt almost every industry, we can’t be confident in the results unless we ensure the data fed into AI algorithms is sound. AI already has an issue of intrinsic bias, and with the greater processing power that quantum promises, it will be even harder to check that bias isn’t creeping into these enormous datasets. The introduction of regulation may be one solution to solving this- providing a framework of good practice and enforcing accountability for poorly configured datasets.

There are also the inherent security risks associated with quantum. Its processing power means it can decipher all current encryption standards and realistically break everything we’ve done from a security perspective on day one. Rolling out quantum technology before businesses secure their operations is a time-bomb waiting to go off.

Businesses also need to prepare for a radically changing job market and begin encouraging the development of skills they will need in 10 to 20 years. For example, there will be an explosion in demand not only for people with algorithm development capabilities, but also philosophical and humanities capabilities. Training enough people in such a short will be an immense challenge, and ethical and societal risks are yet to be understood and resolved.

Rackspace Technology is currently advising customers about how they can utilise these technologies for the greater good.

The bottom line is we are not ready for quantum and it’s fair to say that most businesses do not currently grasp what quantum truly could mean for them. Using these technologies responsibly will require us to address many new and challenging issues, but preparing now can lead to a huge payoff and a truly unique value proposition in the marketplace.