Google Claims Quantum Leap, Solves Septillion-Year Task in Minutes

Google claims its new quantum chip, "Willow," has achieved a groundbreaking feat, performing a calculation in just five minutes that would take the world's most powerful supercomputers ten septillion years. In a Bloomberg interview, Hartmut Neven, VP of Engineering at Google and founder of Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab, highlighted the company's significant breakthroughs in quantum computing, including advancements in error correction and computational speed.

The most striking achievement is a benchmark calculation performed in just five minutes on the Willow chip. This same calculation, known as random circuit sampling, would take the world's most powerful supercomputers an estimated ten septillion years – a one followed by 25 zeros. While this specific benchmark problem isn't one encountered in everyday computing, it serves as a critical tool for comparing the performance of different quantum processors and demonstrating their vast potential against classical computers.

Neven emphasized the steady progress in quantum computing, stating that Willow "will form the basis to start doing useful computations that will enable or solve problems that humankind has." He highlighted key applications in areas where understanding quantum effects is crucial, including drug discovery, nuclear fusion reactor design, and even improving batteries for electric vehicles. These are all engineering challenges where, according to Neven, "quantum processors are just the tool of choice."

Addressing the hype surrounding generative AI, Neven stressed that both AI and quantum computing will be transformative technologies, with significant cross-fertilization between the two. AI can enhance the performance of quantum chips, and vice versa. He noted that "there are many key computational tasks in AI where a quantum chip will just be the tool of choice to handle those," suggesting a synergistic future for these powerful technologies.