Data is the new oil, and rightly so. After all, we produce 2.5 exabytes of data every single day, which is equivalent to the content on 5 million laptops. In an ‘always-on’ world, we are continually feeding data banks, whether through social media, or all other data we create, including images and videos, and documents.

As you may have already gauged, data is continuing to grow, but traditional computers do not have the requisite capabilities to process all this data. For problems above a specific size and complexity, we need a new form of computing; this is where quantum computing steps in.

Computing systems available today manipulate individual bits; these are then stored in binary form - 0 and 1. On the other hand, quantum computers rely on quantum bits or qubits. This form of computing utilises the quantum mechanical phenomena of superposition and entanglement. 

Google claims it has a quantum computer that is 100 million times faster than any system available today. 

In early March, the benefits of supercomputing were highlighted by IBM with regard to COVID-19. The supercomputer identified 77 chemical compounds that could be used to create an effective drug against the virus. Quantum computing’s processing power could solve complex problems with ease that can lead to more breakthroughs in science, medicine, financial strategies, and construction. 

Quantum computing and AI: a match made in heaven

Both quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) complement each other and can lead to great innovations. AI systems are dependent on large amounts of data, and quantum computers can help classify this data in a more precise manner, based on certain patterns. This is not possible in classical computers.

Several companies, including Volkswagen, are trying ways to use both these technologies together to solve complex issues. The automotive giant used both quantum computing and AI to create a traffic management system. In the long run, the company plans to make it commercially viable. The system could be used by public transportation companies in predicting revenues based on passenger demand.

Finding quick solutions to problems

Did you know - Google’s Sycamore processor, which is a quantum computer, did a complex calculation in just 200 seconds? Even the most powerful supercomputer would have taken 10,000 years to solve this. Such is the power of quantum computing. 

With the increasing complexity of data sets, there is great stress on the existing computing fabric. While our computers are not equipped to handle complex issues, such problems can be solved by quantum computing within seconds. Besides, it is predicted that AI can benefit from advances in quantum computing, and this will continue even if there is no full solution available.

Optimising solutions

The other way in which the power of quantum computing and AI can help is to optimise solutions. With all the big data today, we need a different computational approach. This is because our problems have evolved as well! Quantum computers can solve sequential problems with ease, and help businesses and consumers make better decisions. 

It also helps to build better models. For instance, there are several industries, including pharmaceuticals, life sciences and finances that require complex models, and classical computers are not as equipped. With quantum computers, the potential processing power is much higher, which means better models can be created. It will also translate to more enhanced treatments for disease, and improved logistics, among other things.

Identifying patterns in large data sets

With quantum computing, one can search large, unsorted data sets to identify patterns quickly. This means they can access all the items in your repository within a few seconds, and also check for similarities. Today, this may be possible, but it might take an infinite amount of time, and also the size of the data set. 

Besides, if there are several raw data sources with unique schema and a research team wants to handle it, it would have to understand the relationship between schemas before the data can even be compared. With quantum computing, the analysis will be quick, and the integration of humongous datasets will transform AI capabilities.

Handling fraud detection

The application of quantum computing on AI will also help with progress in the banking and finances sector. Models that are trained using quantum computers will be able to detect patterns that are otherwise impossible for classical computers. Also, as companies in the sector are moving towards providing personalised products, using advanced recommendation systems would be the best way to achieve it. 

The bottom line

Several tech giants, including Google, Microsoft and IBM, are looking at pouring in money in this space. The Indian government has also planned to invest Rs 8,000 crore in quantum computing research over the next five years. As part of Budget 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that this would give an impetus to the technology under the National Mission of Quantum Technology and Application Project. 

As Jacob Biamonte, a quantum physicist at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow rightly says, “Artificial intelligence and machine learning are the latest buzzwords, and when you mix that with ‘quantum,’ it becomes a mega-buzzword.”

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