10.12.2024 16:55
Google has introduced a new quantum chip called Willow, which can solve a problem that would take 10 septillion years in just 5 minutes. Experts emphasized that this chip is still experimental and its applicability in real-world scenarios remains uncertain.
Google has introduced a new chip that it claims can solve a problem that the world's fastest supercomputers would take 10 septillion years (10 to the power of 25 years) to complete in just 5 minutes. Google asserts that its new quantum chip, named "Willow," contains significant "breakthroughs" and "paves the way for a useful, large-scale quantum computer."
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS NEEDED FOR NEXT-GENERATION PROCESSORS
Google's chip is the latest development in the field known as quantum computing, which aims to create a new type of computer that is highly powerful by utilizing the principles of particle physics. Google claims that Willow has solved a problem that the world's fastest supercomputers would take 10 septillion years to complete in just 5 minutes.
Experts indicate that Willow is largely an experimental device for now, meaning that a quantum computer powerful enough to solve a wide range of real-world problems is still years and billions of dollars away.
"WILLOW'S SUCCESS IN A SINGLE TEST SHOULD NOT BE OVERSTATED"
Hartmut Neven, who leads Google's quantum artificial intelligence lab that developed Willow, stated that Willow would be used in some practical applications but refused to provide further details. Neven suggested that Willow's performance means it is "the best quantum processor ever made to date."
However, Prof. Dr. Alan Woodward, a computing expert at the University of Surrey in the UK, said that while quantum computers would outperform current "classical" computers in a range of tasks, they would not replace them.
Woodward cautioned against overstating the significance of Willow's success in a single test, saying, "One must be careful not to compare apples to oranges."
THEY UTILIZE QUANTUM MECHANICS
Quantum computers, which operate fundamentally differently from phones or laptops, leverage quantum mechanics to solve problems much faster than traditional computers. It is hoped that in the future, quantum computers will be able to use these capabilities to significantly accelerate complex processes, such as creating new drugs.
Additionally, there are fears that they could be used for malicious purposes, such as breaking certain types of encryption used to protect sensitive data. In February 2024, Apple announced that it had made the encryption protecting iMessage chats "quantum-resistant" to prevent future powerful quantum computers from reading them.