Google says its quantum chip breaks new ground

Google claims to have reached a pivotal milestone in quantum computing.

Yesterday, the tech giant unveiled Willow, a 105-qubit quantum chip that the company says can solve a test problem in five minutes, which would take today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years, longer than the universe’s age.

Qubits are the building blocks of quantum computing. The higher the number of qubits in a chip, the faster it can solve complex problems. However, they are notoriously error-prone, and often adding too many to a chip will increase error rates.

Google says it has developed techniques to make qubits more reliable and correct errors in real-time with its Willow chip. This marks a significant step towards making quantum machines practical in a wide range of areas, including drug trials, AI, nuclear reactor constructions, and more.

The achievement, detailed in Nature, bolsters Google’s vision of quantum computers tackling transformative tasks for human and societal development.

Google isn’t alone in the quantum computing race. Rivals like Microsoft and IBM are also focusing on increasing qubit counts.

Though still in its early stages, quantum computing holds the potential to revolutionize fields like artificial intelligence and medicine. It receives billions in research funding around the world.