Quantum computing – No trick pony

A superbrain that cant play Pong.

• There is no doubt that quantum computing has the potential to completely change the IT industry, but Google’s demonstration has really only moved it just ahead of nuclear fusion in terms of practical reality.
• 2 months ago (see here) Google made the bold claim that it had reached quantum supremacy which to the layman means a computer that can calculate far beyond what modern supercomputers today are capable of.
• In the headlines was the fact that Google’s quantum computer was able to make a calculation in 20minues that would have taken a supercomputer 10,000 years.
• However, when one looks into the calculation itself, the problems with Google’s claim immediately become clear.
• The task that was tested was specifically designed for the quantum computer so that it would be able to run it.
• This task was random number generation and then ordering them into a specific pattern designated by the algorithm.
• This means that any other practical tasks such as running highly power-intensive deep learning training systems will not run on this system.
• One could not even use this machine to play Tic-Tac-Toe or Pong.
• Consequently, as it stands today, for practical purposes the quantum computer is useless.
• The quantum computer is incapable of performing the practical and useful tasks performed by today’s supercomputers and therefore it fails the requirements of quantum supremacy.
• This why Google’s critics are saying that quantum supremacy has not been achieved and I agree with this line of argument.
• Furthermore, I am reliably informed that to start using this to crack RSA encryption would require around 1m qubits and this machine has around 50.
• Additionally, scaling this machine to 1m qubits is also extremely challenging meaning that RSA encryption looks to be pretty safe for the foreseeable future.
• Regardless of this fact, what Google has achieved is significant as the improvement in speed is so substantial that it clearly demonstrates the potential of quantum computing.
• This will galvanise research efforts and, in all likelihood, trigger an increase in funding.
• Google has firmly placed quantum computing on the horizon, but the journey has many years yet to travel.
• So many years in fact that it may be a close race between quantum computing and nuclear fusion to see who arrives first.
• Silicon is here to stay for the foreseeable future.