While research into quantum computing is making regular progress, some are wondering: will quantum computers really be necessary in the future? A question triggered in particular by the results obtained by artificial intelligence when it comes to carrying out simulations in fields such as physics or chemistry.
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AI as a bone for quantum computing
If quantum computing seems ideal for solving problems in these sectors, the limits hardware today's solutions are still a reality. This is where AI, already used in fundamental physics, chemistry and materials science, could come into play. In any case while waiting for the existence of larger quantum processors.
For Giuseppe Carleo, professor of computational physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the scale and complexity of quantum systems that can be simulated using AI are advancing rapidly. He recently co-wrote a paper in which he indicated in particular that the use of a neural network was becoming the main method for modeling materials with strong quantum properties.
The future of science in the hands of artificial intelligence?
The man explains: “The existence of these new competitors in the field of machine learning is a serious blow to the potential applications of quantum computers. In my opinion, these companies will sooner or later discover that their investments are not justified.“
Words reminiscent of those made last year by Matthias Troyer, head of quantum computing at Microsoft. In particular, it was a question of the current weakness of this technology when it comes to importing and exporting large quantities of data, and that quantum computing should be limited to dealing with problems in chemistry and materials science.
