Delivering a quantum future | MIT Technology Review

Since data can be backed up and archived, classified and sensitive information, which may require protection for over a decade or more, must be protected by quantum-resistant algorithms. The four algorithms selected by NIST represent a first step in the development of the post-quantum encryption standard.

“Cryptographic protocols that are deployed today may still be in use 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now,” says Daniel Gottesman, professor of theoretical computer science at the University of Maryland and consultant in quantum computing at Keysight Technologies. , an American supplier of design, emulation and test equipment for electronics. “If you send messages today, if they will still be relevant then, then you need to worry about security against future quantum computers.”

Yet the promise of quantum computing goes far beyond uncovering decades-old secrets.

Quantum computing offers the enticing promise of problem-solving capabilities and computing power far exceeding today’s most powerful supercomputers. Google has built a quantum AI campus with the goal of creating a “useful, error-correcting quantum computer” by 2029. IBM has expanded its quantum efforts with the goal of creating a 4,000-qubit quantum computer of here 2025.

These more sophisticated platforms will enable a greater number of applications, such as chemical simulation and machine learning, and provide more momentum for the long-term development of quantum computing systems. According to analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC), the global quantum computing market will grow by 51% per year, in terms of expenditure, from $412 million in 2020 to $8.6 billion in 2027. .

“Companies building quantum hardware and software services now have multiple platforms already in use by niche customers in finance and defense,” said John Blyler, industry solutions manager, wired communications, at Keysight Technologies. “And new applications are being identified, such as simulating molecules that can lead to life-saving new drugs that cure various diseases.”

Companies that develop applications for near-future quantum computers will reap a range of benefits and dominate the market because of their quantum advantage, says Chad Rigetti, former CEO of Rigetti Computing, a company that provides quantum computing in as a service. Quantum Computing as a Service, or QCaaS, allows customers to access a quantum computer through a cloud service that typically integrates with classical computing-based workloads. The result is a hybrid system that can be optimized for the specific problem: most software will run on classical computers, while quantum algorithms and simulations can run on quantum systems.

While much of the discussion about quantum computing has focused on the risks to privacy and encrypted information, the much bigger risk today is not planning the ways in which quantum computing can affect the activities of a company.

Download report

This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not authored by the editorial staff of MIT Technology Review.