“Making the types of problems that were impossible, possible” - How IBM is shaping the future of quantum computing

3d rendering of a quantum server network with quantum computer machine in server room

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Phonlamai)

Quantum is the next logical step in the evolution of computing, and will define a new era in technology the same way that AI has defined the present.

Many current problems that would take thousands of hours to solve with traditional computers will, likely in the next decade, be possible to solve in hours.

IBM, responsible for the invention of the hard-disk drive and dynamic random access memory, is looking to pioneer the future of quantum computing - and invited TechRadar Pro to Switzerland to find out more.

What's happening now?

IBM has already identified a number of critical sectors where quantum computing could have profound benefits. The IBM quantum network is one of the largest in the world, with over 250 members, over 600,000 users, over 3000 papers published, and more than 10 quantum computers being used to research and innovate across materials science, healthcare, high-energy physics, and more.

Alessandro Curioni, VP IBM Research Europe and Africa and Director of IBM Research Zurich, described how, by simulating how atoms and molecules interact using quantum computing, it will soon be possible to synthesize new materials to be used across a wide range of industries.

In the health sector, IBM's has contributed to research with its partners that has identified the potential application of using quantum computing to develop cell-centric therapeutics able to understand how individual cells interact and behave with diseased cells, and medications, allowing for the development of new, highly targeted immunotherapy techniques.

Moreover, introducing multiple variables when simulating with large datasets is typically something that would reduce a traditional computer to a crawl, especially when simulating the effects of climate change or damage to ecosystems. However Curioni believes that quantum will be the key to “optimizing our way of life while remaining sustainable.”

Curioni also notes that “the intersection in the synergy between quantum computing and machine learning” will have profound benefits for gathering the right representations from large amounts of data, “making the problems that were impossible, possible.”

A IBM CryptoCard on display at IBM Research Zurich used to encrypt data at the quantum standard recommended by NIST. — (Image credit: Future - Benedict Collins)

What's next?

“In the future, these days are going to be remembered as the days that changed computing, and the world,” is the message from Curioni. The IBM road map predicts that we won’t see the full benefits of quantum computing until beyond 2033, but that doesn’t mean breakthroughs aren’t already being made.

IBM has developed numerous innovations in both the hardware and software technologies involved in quantum computing in order to keep pace with their predictive road map, with Curioni stating, “2026 will be the year where we will be able to demonstrate quantum advantage,” with IBM hoping to deliver a fully error-corrected quantum system by 2029 ahead of the transformational era of 2030.

Late in 2023, IBM unveiled Quantum System Two - a modular architecture to enable scalable quantum-centric supercomputing. This architecture integrates a hybrid cloud computing service between the user and the hardware, allowing the user to run both quantum and classical workflows simultaneously.

While traditional computers are extremely efficient at multiplying two numbers, they struggle with factorization, which is exactly what quantum computers excel at. These systems will therefore allow for highly complex workloads, simulations and data sets to be run far more efficiently, saving power and resources while also enhancing productivity.

Quantum's advantages in factorization have already rendered many of today's encryption methods obsolete, with state-sponsored groups and financially motivated threat actors stealing sensitive encrypted data now, in the hopes of decrypting it once quantum-computing becomes commercially viable. For this reason, IBM developed the first quantum-encryption standards used by NIST to protect against harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks.

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Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.