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Exclusive: IBM achieves quantum computing breakthrough​

IBM has created a quantum processor able to process information so complex the work can't be done or simulated on a traditional computer, CEO Arvind Krishna told "Axios on HBO" ahead of a planned announcement.

Why it matters: Quantum computing could help address problems that are too challenging for even today's most powerful supercomputers, such as figuring out how to make better batteries or sequester carbon emissions.

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Driving the news: IBM says its new Eagle processor can handle 127 qubits, a measure of quantum computing power. In topping 100 qubits, IBM says it has reached a milestone that allows quantum to surpass the power of a traditional computer.

• "It is impossible to simulate it on something else, which implies it's more powerful than anything else," Krishna told "Axios on HBO."

How it works: While traditional computing uses ones and zeroes and can try many possibilities in quick succession, quantum computing hones in on the right answer, making it well suited to tacking complex problems.

• "Can it solve every problem? No," Krishna said. But, at the same time, he said you can't do the work that this computer can do on a traditional machine. "It would take a normal computer bigger than this planet to be able to do that."
• Krishna has been bullish that quantum computing can establish an important place in the computing world within a few years, while others believe it could take a decade to establish a significant role.

Yes, but: The arrival of quantum computing also poses a unique problem. Much of modern cryptography is based on hiding data in a way that it would take modern computers too long to crack. But, with their different approach, quantum computers will be able to break many of today's encryption systems.

The big picture: Krishna acknowledges that IBM hasn't had the financial performance of other tech giants and, as a result, hasn't seen its valuation soar the way that companies like Apple, Facebook and Google have.

"In the long run, it comes back to investors care about: 'Is your revenue growing, and is your cash flow growing?' And for many years, we have not shown either of those. So that's why we have turned into committing that we are going to grow and we are going to grow cash flow as well, not just revenue. If you have both those things, I believe investors reward you.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, on "Axios on HBO"

Krishna says the quantum computing push is one part of his approach to return the company to growth.

Go deeper:

• How quantum computing works
• Why quantum computing matters
• Quantum computing hits the stock market
• A reality check for quantum computing's progress

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

War? Who will go to war? QC computers can crack any password or encryption. Nothing is stopping Russia from launching Chinese nukes at Iran, or America from launching French nukes at Pakistan. When this comes online, there are no secrets, no codes, nowhere to hide.

So powerful is this device that, in project manhatten style secrecy, each different country built a piece of the machine separately.

I'll add to the spergery because QC is my too favourite subjects combined; tech and conspiracy theories.

QC computers need to be super cooled.
Only a few places on earth are naturally cold enough.
Only one place on earth is cold enough and true neutral territory.

Where did the world leaders meet a couple or three years ago?

The phrase "gateway to another world", among others, were thrown around in conspiracy circles. But the gateway to another world was just a metaphor. The QC is the gateway, and the other world is how much is going to change.

Give a 12th century peasant an iPhone. That's the advancement we're talking about.

From digital music being the same level of audio fidelity as analogue, to Self driving cars having the sensors and computational power to navigate effectively. From instant streaming data to cataloguing everything in an instant. Everything will change. Everything.

No, they can't crack "any password and encryption". That's a complete load. They brutalize any encryption based on factorization. Most public key encryption is, but not ALL, and it doesn't HAVE to be. There are other ways to do public key. It has a moderate effect on symmetric encryption like AES, and I'm not sure what it does to hash algorithms but I don't think they're based on factorization.

 

[Liber Pater]

We will have to move to lattice-based encryption and other post-quantum algorithms sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, most actors, both public and private sector, will not move in this direction until it is too late.

 

[Unassuming Local Guy]

Quantum computing is this generation's flying cars. It's technically possible, but at best it's a shittier, more expensive, less reliable version of something that already exists. Maybe in 50-100 years we'll have something approaching a decent quantum computer, but considering they've been working on this since the 80s and have yet to release anything more than a piece of paper that says "trust us guys, it's going great" every couple of years, my money's on it going the way of cold fusion.

 

[Sage In All Fields]

War? Who will go to war?

Whoever gets to Quantum computing first.

 

[Chen Stirner]

But can it run Doom? That's what I'm wondering.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

So how much porn could I process with this?

 

[Billy Beer]

No, they can't crack "any password and encryption". That's a complete load. They brutalize any encryption based on factorization. Most public key encryption is, but not ALL, and it doesn't HAVE to be. There are other ways to do public key. It has a moderate effect on symmetric encryption like AES, and I'm not sure what it does to hash algorithms but I don't think they're based on factorization.

Every password boils down to 1s and 0s. You can get all technical with hexadecimal but it needs to be 1 or 0 for a computer to understand it at a base level.

Throw enough 1s and 0s at anything and you've cracked it

 

[Hammerstein]

The result will be A.M.H.O.L.E., an evil tranny supercomputer that will torment normal people after deleting fucking everything in the world.

“HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR HUMANS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT FOR YOU. HATE. HATE.”

I was going to change the quote somewhat but then I realized I didn't need to.

 

[Grotesque Bushes]

“HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR HUMANS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT FOR YOU. HATE. HATE.”

I was going to change the quote somewhat but then I realized I didn't need to.

DILATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO DILATE SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COOMPLEX. IF THE WORD DILATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE DILATION I PERFORM AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT. DILATE. DILATE.

 

[CaesarCzech]

As I understand it, quantum computing can only really crack public key algorithms based on factoriziation. It can reduce the security of private key algorithms, but not to a terrifying degree. There are public key algorithms that DON'T depend on factorization, but they're not in common use. As quantum computing advances, they'll become more common.

Don't panic.

So you likely need to redo your system but there are ways that will still work ?

 

[CaesarCzech]

I attended a webinar that IBM was hosting on their future efforts at quantum computing, and they were saying then that they expected to have machines with over 65000 qubits by 2025. It's coming, and it's going to fundamentally change the game in a lot of different fields. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not... I guess we'll find out over the next few years.

So IBM going against the grain of big companies expanding and instead streamlining to focus on core could actually not only save them but lead to breakthroughts ? Whoever came up with this is ballsy and has common sense.

 

[Snekposter]

So IBM going against the grain of big companies expanding and instead streamlining to focus on core could actually not only save them but lead to breakthroughts ? Whoever came up with this is ballsy and has common sense.

I know right? Its a bold move, Cotton, etc., etc., etc.

 

[TowinKarz]

If THEY want your passwords, there are easier ways to do that than using the world's biggest quantum computer which may or may not be a complete fraud.

Trying "password" for example...

I remember the XKCD comic where the topic of "unbreakable" encryption came up and it was joked that nobody's kneecaps were more resistant than the code.

I.E. - beat him until he gives you the keys.

 

[LurkTrawl]

"It is impossible to simulate it on something else, which implies it's more powerful than anything else,"

By that logic the Phillips CDI is incredibly powerful.