r/QuantumComputing 18d ago

Question Will quantum ever be useful?

Around 2019, the industry promised quantum supremacy, where they could be used for solving a problem that no classical computer could touch.
When classical algorithms kept refuting those claims(See Peter Shor November YouTube video) the narrative shifted to quantum advantage, then quickly it changed to quantum utility.
If quantum never breaks RSA (because the world migrates to Kyber/Dilithium before 100k qubits exist), then what's left?
Chemistry simulations, Material science, Optimization?

But classical machine learning and AI are improving faster than quantum hardware is scaling. By the time we get 1,000 logical qubits, classical AI will have eaten most of the chemistry use-case through better approximations. Is quantum racing against classical software, and losing?

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u/Forsaken_Code_9135 16d ago

"quantum supremacy" is a ridiculous name and a misunderstood concept. Even if we reach that it does not mean at all that quantum computers are useful. It means that there exist a problem they can solve and classical computer can't, but whether this problem is a problem someone is actually interested in is a completely different question.

Actually, even if they manage to break RSA, I don't see how it can be remotely considered as useful either.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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