{"id":1118491,"date":"2023-10-12T02:23:51","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T06:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/uncategorized\/quantum-computing-the-new-ai-hype-team-bhp\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T02:23:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T06:23:51","slug":"quantum-computing-the-new-ai-hype-team-bhp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/quantum-computing\/quantum-computing-the-new-ai-hype-team-bhp\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum Computing : the new AI hype? &#8211; Team-BHP"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p>We have an excellent thread on AI, have a look here:  <\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.team-bhp.com\/forum\/shift\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.team-bhp.com\/forum\/shift<\/a>...ml#post4251017    (Artificial Intelligence: How far is it?)  <\/p>\n<p>    But let's face it, AI and ML (Machine Learning) have been    around in practical applications for about a decade if not    longer. Most people just never realised these days AI\/ML is    embedded in many products and services we use on a day-to-day    basis. The latest developments in products such as ChatGP has    put AI on the agenda of many folks. Including the political    agenda. Which if anything shows, how much politics,    policymakers and the general public are behind in terms of    understanding what AI\/ML is.  <\/p>\n<p>    I have been involved in the application of AI and ML to our    products and services for the last 7-8 years or so. We make    extensive use of both. I used to work for Ericsson. We    implement it in our products, we use it in our R&D and we    also use it in our Managed Services, where we take over the    day-to-day operation of (mobile) networks from our customers.    We use AI\/ML for a wide variety of services. E.g. for network    optimisation, preventive maintenance prediction etc.  <\/p>\n<p>    It is all pretty cool but in all honesty, it is also very much    part of our daily work. Nothing special. I retired from    Ericsson some time ago. During my last year, I also started    looking into what Quantum Computing could mean for us and our    customers.  <\/p>\n<p>    So for me, AI\/ML is old school to a large extent. Just existing    technology is being explored further. Nothing new under the    sun.  <\/p>\n<p>    Last couple of years I have been fascinated by the various    Quantum Technologies.  <\/p>\n<p>    Just for a bit of context; Quantum technologies are a loose set    of nascent technologies that harness the principles of quantum    mechanics to enable revolutionary breakthroughs across various    fields. Quantum technologies can be grouped into three main    areassensing, communication, and computing.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    I am interested to hear what our members think and know about    Quantum Computing. I think it is fascinating. It is completely    different from our current ways of building computers and its    potential is huge.  <\/p>\n<p>    I enrolled in an exciting course about Quantum Computing,    Leadership and Innovation. Organised by this Dutch organisation    called Comenius.  <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"tsi8PRcEve\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/comeniusleergang.nl\/about-comenius\/\">About Comenius<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;About Comenius&#8221; &#8212; Comenius Leergangen\" src=\"https:\/\/comeniusleergang.nl\/about-comenius\/embed\/#?secret=KcKSOzVp2T#?secret=tsi8PRcEve\" data-secret=\"tsi8PRcEve\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>  <\/p>\n<p>    This course was not so much about the technology perse, but    more about how to deal with the technology from a leadership    perspective, from an ethical perspective, from an    organisational perspex  <\/p>\n<p>    I have had the pleasure of attending several of their courses    before. The most memorable one was about Complexity and    Innovation which was held at the Sante Fe Science Institute in    New Mexico.  <\/p>\n<p>    Unfortunately, due to health problems, I had to cancel my    participation in the Quantum course. But I am an alumnus of    Comenius and they organise regular meetings about all kinds of    topics for their alumni.  <\/p>\n<p>    They always have a wide range of different topics and very    interesting lecturers. From politicians, scientists, people    from the art and culture world and so on.  <\/p>\n<p>    Earlier this week I attended one of the alumni sessions at the    TNO in Delft, the Netherlands. TNO is a very well-established    and respected research organisation in the Netherlands (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/en\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/en\/<\/a>)  <\/p>\n<p>    They had arranged for two speakers on two very different    topics. One topic was about the equipment TNO has developed to    measure actual emission with very high resolution and accuracy    from space, by satellite. The other topic was Quantum Computer.  <\/p>\n<p>    I have, of course, read about Quantum Computing, but this was    the very time I got to see one. TNO has built their own!!  <\/p>\n<p>    Here you see it.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Current Quantum Computers are very small chips cooled down to    almost 0 degrees Kelvin. So most of what you see is about the    cooling, not the computing as such. Here is a photograph of    what is inside that white tube.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    What everybody, and I mean everybody, including the top experts    on this topic, will tell you: Nobody and we mean NOBODY fully    understands quantum computing.  <\/p>\n<p>    I happen to be extremely well-versed in not understanding    quantum computing.     So for some of the below, I have borrowed heavily from the    Internet. (It might be incorrect, but it would be hard to prove    it of course as we will see).  <\/p>\n<p>    The basics of quantum computing are of course covered in    quantum mechanics. Those were established some 100 years ago,    by the likes such as Bohr, Schrdinger, Heisenberg, Born, Dirac    and a bunch of other scientists. Einstein at the time famously    rejected quantum mechanics!  <\/p>\n<p>    Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that    describes the behaviour of nature at the scale of atoms and    subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum    physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory,    quantum technology, and quantum information science.  <\/p>\n<p>    Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed    before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects    of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale but is not    sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic)    scales. Most theories in classical physics can be derived from    quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at a large    (macroscopic) scale.  <\/p>\n<p>    So what is the difference between a classic (current) computer    and a quantum computer:  <\/p>\n<p>    A quantum computer is a device that manipulates information    using the mathematics of quantum mechanics, as opposed to    binary logic. For example, a quantum computer doesnt represent    information as 1s and 0s. Instead, its basic unit of    information, known as a qubit, corresponds to the probability    of being either 1 or 0. The qubits state is like a coin    flipping in the air: before landing, the coins state is    neither heads nor tails, but some probability of either. In    quantum lingo, the coin is in a superposition of heads and    tails. Similarly, a qubit represents a superposition of 1 and    0.  <\/p>\n<p>    Erwin Schrdinger famously illustrated the concept of a    superposition in a thought experiment involving a cat in a box    with a vial of poison and a radioactive substance. When the    radioactive substance decays, it releases a particle that    triggers the release of the poison, killing the cat. According    to quantum mechanics, before anyone opens the box, the cat is    technically in a superposition of being dead and alive at the    same time.  <\/p>\n<p>    By exploiting superposition and other quantum properties, such    as entanglement, a quantum computer is capable of fundamentally    different mathematical operations than classical computing.  <\/p>\n<p>    So quantum computers are all about qubits. We (well, some    scientists, not me or you most likely) can produce different    kinds of qubits. Three common types of qubits are    superconducting qubits, photonic qubits, and Rydberg atom    qubits. (there are at least 7 different kinds of qubits, but    these three are the most commonly used ones). Have a look here    for more information: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aliroquantum.com\/blog\/qn\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.aliroquantum.com\/blog\/qn<\/a>...0disadvantages.  <\/p>\n<p>    It is extremely difficult to capture and observe these qubits.    One of the reasons for cooling them down to near absolute zero    is to try and minimize any interference and noise.  <\/p>\n<p>    One of the big challenges with quantum mechanics is that it is    completely counterintuitive. It requires many years of working    with math and doing experiments to familiarize yourself with    it. We discussed if the current or next generation of students    would find it easier and more intuitive. There were a couple of    students present. They all agreed, that it never becomes    intuitive, at best it becomes familiar and you adapt.  <\/p>\n<p>    It is a way of thinking that is, to some extent, science    fiction for most of us. How can a particle tunnel through    something? How do we know the status of a particle we know by    observing it, that it changes its status. How does one particle    influence the status of another particle very far from it    (so-called entanglement)  <\/p>\n<p>    A couple of my takeaways:  <\/p>\n<p>    1 Quantum Computer applications:    Quantum Computers are more suited for very complex types of    calculations rather than handling vast amounts of data. So the    notion that Quantum computers are going to enhance our weather    forecasting capabilities big time is probably not realistic.    Weather forecasting requires working with gigantic amounts of    data. The limitation is very much related to the number of    qubits you can have on a chip\/computer.  <\/p>\n<p>    Problems in cryptography, optimization, and material science    can potentially be solved exponentially faster on a quantum    computer.  <\/p>\n<p>    Due to the intrinsic working of Quantum computers, the outcome    is never exact. It comes with a probabilityThisch is fine for    many applications, but sometimes you need an exact answer. If    you ask a quantum computer what the square root of 9 is, the    answer is something along the lines of: 3, with a    probability of 99,99%.  <\/p>\n<p>    2 Quantum Computer energy efficiency:    Quantum computers are extremely energy efficient. The chips are    cooled down to almost absolutely zero, but even that requires    little power. Its energy efficiency is also  <\/p>\n<p>    That is when you compare them on an apple-to-apple comparison.    E.g. compare a classic supercomputer with a Quantum Computer    with the same computing power. If anything the supercomputer    will do the same calculations much more quickly,  <\/p>\n<p>    3 China and Quantum Computing    Whereas most of the Western scientific world is pretty open    about their research in quantum computing, China is much less    so. However, there is no doubt that China is investing BIG time    in Quantum Computing. It is hard to get an accurate estimate of    the total funding China is pouring into Quantum Computing, but    it is likely to be in the order of magnitude of what all other    countries jointly put in.  <\/p>\n<p>    Like other emerging technologies, quantum has become a crux of    China-U.S. competition. The first country to operationalize    quantum technologies will possess a toolkit of capabilities    that can overwhelm unprepared adversaries. Quantum-enabled    countries could crack existing encryption methods, build    unbreakable encrypted communications networks, and develop the    worlds most precise sensors. The country leading in quantum    will be able to threaten adversaries corporate, military, and    government information infrastructure faster than an adversary    can implement effective defences.  <\/p>\n<p>    Quantum technologies also carry immense potential market value,    with quantum computing alone expected to reach a global market    value of $1 trillion by 2035. The first country to    commercialize quantum will have an upper hand in establishing    market dominance, developing quantum governance models, and    pursuing novel quantum applications. Because quantum is an    enabling technology, advancement in QIS may also catalyze a    series of disruptive innovations in other profitable technology    areas, such as artificial intelligence.  <\/p>\n<p>    4 Encryption    One of the BIG applications for quantum computing appears to be    encryption, and certainly the breaking of existing encryptions.    See item 3 as well.  <\/p>\n<p>    However, we are able today to develop an encryption algorithm    that can not be broken by even Quantum Computers. The folks    from TNO we met with have just published a paper to this    effect!  <\/p>\n<p>    5 How real is it all?  <\/p>\n<p>    You can buy a quantum computer today, or get access to one in    the cloud. So that is pretty real! Even so, these are quantum    computers with just a few qubits so they are quite limited in    what they can do.  <\/p>\n<p>    Some of the big tech companies, such as IBM and Google are    investing big time into this new technology.  <\/p>\n<p>    If you follow this topic you will read about break through    left, right and center every few months. The reality is we are    probably still quite some time away from a quantum computer    that will outperform a current super computer one way or the    other.  <\/p>\n<p>    6 Ethical perspective    We talked a bit about the ethical aspects of this new    technology. Should we be developing such technologies? It is    easy to see some advantages, but the disadvantages, or    negatives are immense as well. We know that some of the    scientists who worked on the invention of the A-bomb afterwards    said they should have stopped working on it. All the scientists    we met said the same. They would stop if it became obvious if    and when the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages for us    humans.  <\/p>\n<p>    7 Technical skills and competence    Quantum computing requires a very different skill and    competence set from working with classic computers. Folks who    would be considered top experts in writing algorithms for AI    would be out of their debts in the quantum world.  <\/p>\n<p>    Interestingly enough, some of the algorithms developed for    quantum computing have also led to new insight and improvements    in AI algorithms.  <\/p>\n<p>    Anyway, again I find this a hugely interesting topic. Even    though I struggle with the basic understanding of how it all    works.  <\/p>\n<p>    I would be interested to learn from other members what they    know and or think about Quantum Computing,  <\/p>\n<p>    Jeroen  <\/p>\n<p><!-- Auto Generated --><\/p>\n<p>Read this article: <\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.team-bhp.com\/forum\/gadgets-computers-software\/271823-quantum-computing-new-ai-hype.html\" title=\"Quantum Computing : the new AI hype? - Team-BHP\">Quantum Computing : the new AI hype? - Team-BHP<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> We have an excellent thread on AI, have a look here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.team-bhp.com\/forum\/shift\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.team-bhp.com\/forum\/shift<\/a>...ml#post4251017 (Artificial Intelligence: How far is it?) But let's face it, AI and ML (Machine Learning) have been around in practical applications for about a decade if not longer.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/quantum-computing\/quantum-computing-the-new-ai-hype-team-bhp\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[257742],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1118491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quantum-computing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1118491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1118491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1118491\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1118491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1118491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/prometheism-transhumanism-posthumanism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1118491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}