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The application of quantum computing to AI has the potential to disrupt a diverse array of industries. Learn why that potential is so promising and how it could affect companies.

Technology history is filled with disruptive pairings cellphones plus wireless internet, for example but the combination of quantum computing and AI might become the most disruptive duo of all.

The major potential of combining quantum computing with AI rests on the formers potential to accelerate the latters capabilities.

Quantum-powered AI could translate into breakthrough solutions for complex problems across a wide range of industries and scientific fields that are beyond the current capabilities of classical computers and traditional AI techniques, said Scott Likens, global AI and innovation technology leader at PwC.

According to Likens, business and IT leaders should have quantum computing and AI developments on their radar today since the pairing offers a number of benefits, including the following:

Organizations hesitant to invest in a single quantum computer should know that there are ways for quantum and classical computing to interact, although combining the processes is still in its early stages.

Businesses will eventually be able to combine quantum and classical approaches for faster computation and analysis for better-optimized solutions, Likens said.

For all the excitement around the AI-quantum computing convergence, the potential pairing holds dangers as well. The integration could lead to many new problems and challenges for business and society.

As AI systems become more capable, their complexity might reach a point where people can no longer understand or control them, which in turn would lead to ethical and safety issues, Likens said. The complexity of quantum systems might also exacerbate the lack of transparency and interpretability in AI algorithms. These issues also contribute to concerns about bias.

Balancing innovation with ethical and security considerations will be crucial as these technologies evolve, he said.

With the rise of businesses seeking value creation in AI, theres a growing trend that workers fear becoming obsolete. AI powered by quantum computing could be another aspect for employees to worry about soon.

Quantum computing and AI could lead to mass unemployment as the systems become more capable than humans across various domains, said Chirag Dekate, vice president analyst at Gartner.

A widespread convergence of quantum computing and AI might be near term as both areas undergo rapid transformation.

Significant recent developments have occurred in underlying quantum computing hardware, algorithms, software, and the infrastructure for interconnecting quantum and classical computers, Likens said.

Newer quantum-inspired algorithms show promise for enhancing predictions, generating new content and better decision-making, and this could translate into advances in important areas, he said. Quantum simulations in healthcare have the potential to speed up drug discovery and analysis using quantum optimization techniques. In addition, quantum AI can benefit areas such as cybersecurity and finance by handling high-dimensional data.

Furthermore, developers are refining the infrastructure that allows both classical and quantum computers to smoothly interact, Likens said.

In the future, quantum computing could potentially be as commonplace as classical computing.

We can look forward to an era where quantum computing is as accessible as our smartphones today to allow us all to make decisions, solve problems and build things in a quantum-native way, Dekate said.

IT leaders should consider the overall value of implementing quantum-powered AI to achieve organizational goals.

Imagine the quantum economy that arises from all of this, Dekate said.

Continue reading here:
The promise of quantum-powered AI | by Muhammad Ehsan | Dec, 2023 - Medium