Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Lead story - Barriers to AI project success - skills, regulation, and bias

MyPOV: Say this for AI projects in 2021: the obstacles are coming into focus. In his article Main barrier to AI in the enterprise now skills, not culture, Derek cites an O'Reilly AI report, which found:

Looking at the problems respondents faced in AI adoption provides another way to gauge the overall maturity of AI as a field. Last year, the major bottleneck holding back adoption was company culture (22%), followed by the difficulty of identifying appropriate use cases (20%). This year, cultural problems are in fourth place (14%) and finding appropriate use cases is in third (17%).

Data challenges persist, but this year, the top AI obstacle is skills. O'Reilly again:

The biggest skills gaps were ML modelers and data scien? tists (52%), understanding business use cases (49%), and data engineering (42%). The need for people managing and maintaining computing infrastructure was comparatively low (24%), hinting that companies are solving their infrastructure requirements in the cloud.

In sum: this report indicates AI projects are maturing, but maturity brings its own challenges. As Stuart notes, in Uh oh, AI, EU - what could possibly go wrong? The risky business of regulation, regulatory barriers remain. One huge issue: vague definitions, forged by policy makers without the AI chops. Stuart:

Without crystal-clear definitions, tech firms developing AI futures will be at the mercy of regulatory box-tickers whose understanding of the underlying tech is little better than those opportunistic politicians who stand up and declare that something must be done.

Then there is the potent problem of AI bias. Neil revisits, via a fruitful LinkedIn exchange: Is there good bias in AI, or is AI bias always undesirable? Responses to a LinkedIn debate.

Diginomica picks - my top stories on diginomica this week

Vendor analysis, diginomica style. Here's my three top choices from our vendor coverage:

A few more vendor picks, without the quotables:

Jon's grab bag - Content marketers are flummoxed and tantalized by the potential of audio and video - but it's not text. That means SEO curveballs. Barb looks at where the traction is, including multi-purposing content across mediums, in Casting an eye over the future of content marketing - Casted CEO Lindsey Tjepkema on the role of audio and video.

Put aside your quantum-computing-will-save-the-world-hangover buzzword overload, and check Chris' hype-free review of the quantum computing use cases: "Khan believes that quantum computers could serve humanity well in two ways: either by doing things that classical computers are unable to do, thanks to the limitations imposed by the laws of physics; or by carrying out calculations much, much faster." (Giant leaps from small things - UK quantum firm sees reason).

Finally, Stuart (properly) undermines Netflix's wet noodle excuse that their slowing numbers are about the end of the pandemic. It's about the competition, and a brutal pun from headline maestro Stuart: A tale of two broadcasters - why Netflix's post-COVID slump is the talk of The Ton.

My top seven

This last year in a nutshell: a woman called police on a home intruder - but it was her robot. Meanwhile: Apple Must Face Lawsuit Over iTunes "Buy" Button. It's about time, though Apple is hardly the only offender in the "own this movie" scamjob.

My colleague Phil Wainewright spotted this one:

Perhaps, but:

Yeah, this happened a few days ago:

Yep, I'm calling a self-whiff. That's what happens when you don't replace your placeholder text before you hit the "publish' button. And, I reached another event overdose:

Bring on the patio grills please:

A guy can dream - see you next time...

If you find an #ensw piece that qualifies for hits and misses - in a good or bad way - let me know in the comments as Clive (almost) always does. Most Enterprise hits and misses articles are selected from my curated @jonerpnewsfeed. 'myPOV' is borrowed with reluctant permission from the ubiquitous Ray Wang.

Link:

Enterprise hits and misses - AI confronts its project barriers, ERP gets buried, and IBM pulls an earnings surprise - Diginomica

Australia and India have joined hands to advance the development of critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G networks, the internet of things (IoT) and quantum computing through a research grant programme.

Through the programme, the two countries hope to help shape a global technology environment that meets Australia and Indias shared vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

The first three projects in the initial round of the programme, which prioritised proposals focused on strengthening understanding of ethical frameworks and developing technical standards for critical technologies, were recently announced by Australias department of foreign Affairs and trade.

This project, led by the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney and experts such as Rajeshwari Rajagopalan of the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation and quantum physicist Shohini Ghose, aims to develop quantum accords to shape international governance of quantum technologies.

The team will build guiding principles on ethics, best practices and progressive applications of quantum technologies.

But rather than propose a formal set of universal rules, they will seek consensus among key stakeholders on what constitutes ethical or unethical behaviour, good or bad practices, productive or destructive applications for emerging quantum technologies.

The project, spearheaded by La Trobe University and Indian Institute of Technology Kampur, will provide Australian and Indian business with an ethics and policy framework when outsourcing their technology to Indian providers.

It will do by improving the understanding of how they translate being signatories of ethical codes to their actual practice. The project will also analyse the emotions and views of stakeholders expressed in social media on the ethical issues found to be important through business surveys.

In doing so, the project intends to advance knowledge in AI and cyber and critical technology, ethics and sustainability and risk by bringing together disciplines in business management and ethics, computer science and engineering, and AI and business analytics.

The outcomes expected include recommendations on revised ethical codes and practices and a framework for using AI and advanced analytics to review ethical practices of companies.

The explosive growth in wireless network usage and IoT systems is expected to accelerate. While 5G networks offer significant improvements in terms of capacity, data rates, and potential energy efficiency, there is a need to address critical privacy and security challenges.

The work will focus on the issues that arise from wireless tracking systems that rely on detecting variations in the channel state information (CSI) due to the users physical activities and wireless networking.

Based on a series of experiments in Australia and India, the project will develop a comprehensive understanding of the extent of private information and metadata exposed and related inferences. This will be used to engage with standards and regulatory agencies and government bodies to strengthen data protection regimes in Australia, India and globally.

The research will be the basis for a whitepaper detailing the emerging wireless network privacy and security threat landscape. This will be followed up with a workshop in Bangalore with key regulators, standards body officials, policy makers and researchers, with the goal of initiating action to effectively address the emerging threats.

The work will be led the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Orbit Australia, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Calligo Technologies.

See original here:

Australia and India team up on critical technology - ComputerWeekly.com

With much of the world steeped in data, where everything from refrigerators and watches to cars and surgical tools are connected to the internet via cloud computing, cryptography - the basic building block of digital security - has never been more important.

Encryption is one of the fundamental applications of cryptography, which converts information into an unbreakable code, typically to prevent unauthorised access.

However, the rise of quantum computers, which are capable of breaking todays encryption protocols at a speed and scale beyond anything weve ever seen - according the Future Today Institute - threatens to upend decades of encryption, posing unprecedented national security threats worldwide.

The lab in Abu Dhabi cannot be found anywhere else in the world

Dr Najwa Aaraj, Cryptography Research Centre

The UAE, which announced plans to build a quantum computer last month, has joined some of the worlds biggest economies in also prioritising cryptography research - the first in the Middle East to do so.

The woman leading the UAEs cryptography plans says the level of research being conducted at the Abu Dhabi-based Technology Innovation Institute is unlike anywhere else in the world.

Speaking to The National, Dr Najwa Aaraj, who was appointed chief researcher at the Cryptography Research Centre at the Technology Innovation Institute last year, outlined her plans for the cutting-edge initiative that will give the UAE sovereignty over the future of its digital security.

I want the country to be known for this field, she said.

The Cryptography Research Centre is part of the Technology Innovation Institute in Masdar City, which focuses on applied research for Abu Dhabi government's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC).

It is also one of the few centres of its kind to bring together theoretical and applied cryptographers from the public and private sector and from around the world.

Dr Aaraj, who got her PhD in information security from Princeton University in New Jersey, oversees the team of 50 and is actively hiring for about a dozen open positions.

We assembled a team of professionals from across the global cryptography community to investigate the current and future challenges of digital society and to respond with practical solutions, Dr Aaraj said.

She said the lab in Abu Dhabi cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

You get connected to the East, to the West, to the US, to Europe, and you can have really good collaboration. So at the end, the intellectual environment that I've had in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, I can confidently say, I haven't had it anywhere else, she said.

TII recently announced partnerships with Yale University in Connecticut and a board of advisors that hail from Radboud University in The Netherlands, Toulouse University and Computer Science at cole Normale Suprieure de Lyon in France and Ruhr-University in Germany.

I still work with Princeton with my advisor on few research topics, she added.

Last month, Dr Aarajs team introduced a software library to store algorithms capable of fighting off attacks in a post-quantum world.

Abu Dhabi's new library is a collection of algorithms to safeguard confidential data and information that aims to advance digital data security in the capital and the broader UAE.

TII's work focused on data confidentiality, integrity, authentication and privacy.

We have a very strong team here from Emirati talent and also global talent

Dr Najwa Aaraj

It was the second library of algorithms Dr Aarajs team has introduced. The first was the 'national sovereign' crypto library, which is currently being integrated into digital infrastructure and multiple systems in the country.

Dr Aaraj said it is critical these algorithms, which can safeguard the UAE's data in sectors like finance, defence and healthcare, are developed in-country and owned exclusively by the UAE.

Not having control over these data safeguards leaves nations vulnerable to an ever-increasing number of threats.

Abu Dhabi, which holds about 5.6 per cent of the worlds proven oil reserves, is positioning itself as a technology and industrial hub.

Earlier this month, Rashed Al Blooshi, undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development said the emirate is focused on a number of non-oil sectors including industry, agriculture, tourism, health and technology to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons.

Dr Aaraj is keen to support that mission, and confident she can deliver on growing the emirates technology sector.

We have a very strong team here from Emirati talent and also global talent. To actually be a hub and attract top experts in the field to come and work from here - Im sure this will happen.

Countries like the US, France, the UK and China are pouring billions of dollars into preparing for a post-quantum future.

Governments are vying to attract talent and investment ahead of the first real-world quantum use cases, according to the Future Today Institute, which outlined national efforts.

The US passed the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018, earmarking $1.2 billion for quantum research and last year it rolled out five new quantum computing centres, including one at Brookhaven National Laboratory to build new nuclear, chemical and physics applications.

Ahead of the curve is the UK, which launched its National Quantum Technology programme in 2013 and is now in its second phase, with $1.3bn in investment. Germanys programme is funded at $2.4bn, according to the Future Today Institute.

Meanwhile, in China, a team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China published a paper in the journal Science describing their quantum computer achieving speeds that were 10 billion times faster than Googles Sycamore, which was the first to achieve quantum supremacy in October 2019.

Physicists at Google said at the time that their 53-bit quantum computer, named Sycamore, calculated something that an ordinary computer - even a very powerful one - simply could not have completed. Sycamore performed a challenging calculation in 200 seconds.

On the worlds current fastest traditional computer, that same calculation would have taken 10,000 years.

In February 2021, researchers from Google and quantum computing company D-Wave Systems solved a real-world challenge 3 million times faster than a classical computer.

Sundar Pichai with one of Google's quantum computers in the Santa Barbara lab. A quantum computer can reduce a calculation that would ordinarily take years to minutes. By processing a lot more information faster, they can evaluate many outcomes simultaneously, thereby increasing their calculating power exponentially. AFP

Quantum computers are able to process multiple possibilities at once, solving problems at a much faster rate. AP

A component of Google's Quantum Computer in the Santa Barbara lab. Todays computers function using something called bits, which are arranged in a combination of ones and zeroes. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or "qubits", which mean they are capable of solving calculations a traditional computer could never answer.. Reuters

Quantum computers are as fragile as they are complex. They require an ultra-cold environment to operate of just above zero Kelvin a unit of temperature which is minus 273. This helps keep the environment stable, with less energy and therefore less chance of the qubits flipping between states.EPA

Sundar Pichai and Daniel Sank with one of Google's Quantum Computers in the Santa Barbara lab. In late 2019, Google announced it had achieved "quantum supremacy". This means that its quantum computer became the first to solve a calculation in less than four minutes that would have taken the worlds most powerful supercomputer 10,000 years to complete. Reuters

Quantum computing could help solve everything from the mundane, such as finding the most efficient route, to huge breakthroughs in science, including creating new cancer treatments or possibly even finding a cure for cancer.They may even one day answer questions about the origins of the universe and address mysteries of space and time. Image: AFP

Quantum computers will also able to sort through reams of data on complicated subjects like climate change to predict how it will progress. AFP

Continued here:

Meet the Abu Dhabi cryptographer keeping your personal data safe - The National

German, French and UK university bodies have joined a chorus of groups urging the European Commission to lift its threat to bar Israel, Switzerland and UK from EU quantum and space projects.

The place of the three countries in multi-billion euro projects under the EUs Horizon Europe science scheme is up in the air, with a fierce debate behind the scenes over whether the bloc should open up access to research it considers of strategic interest.

In a statement published on Friday, five European university associations say they are "concerned" by the proposal and "urge the Commission to reconsider its stance."

The signatories include the German U15, a body representing the countrys leading research-intensive and medical universities; the Russell Group of UK universities; the UDICE (universits de recherche franaises) association of French research universities, the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.

"The role of scientists and researchers in the fight back against the pandemic underlines the benefits of cross-border collaboration, and Horizon Europe will provide the framework for many more successful collaborations. Researchers based in all our universities are now ready to seize these opportunities, work together, and submit bids with confidence," the statement says.

Key Commission officials believe exclusion of the three countries, which are expected to be formally involved as fee-paying associate members of the seven-year Horizon Europe, is necessary so the EU can protect its research base in rapidly developing fields.

The restrictions would affect several hot-button quantum topics, including simulation, communications, and sensing projects. There are also strict limits proposed for non-EU participation in space projects, such as satellite communication and transport systems and space launchers.

But several EU diplomats say resistance to the proposal is now substantial among a growing number of member states. The issue is scheduled to be discussed between Commission officials and member states on April 26 and 27.

The fight stems from a clause inserted last year in the Horizon Europe regulation which foresees that the bloc may limit participation of certain organisations, when there is a justified need to safeguard the unions strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security. The Commission has exceptionally in the past limited international access to its research, including for certain space projects.

Researchers fear these bans will set a bad precedent that may be used to justify further barriers between the EU and its neighbours.

Strengthening strategic autonomy is an important goal for the EU, said Jan Wpking, managing director of the German U15. However, this is not achieved by excluding longstanding research partners such as the UK, Switzerland, or Israel from this crucial programme. Its exactly the other way round, he said.

Close and trusted research collaboration is key for achieving real breakthroughs in quantum computing and other strategically important fields. If Europe wants to stay competitive with China and the US, this is the way to go, said Wpking.

Europe-first

A popular mantra for politicians in Brussels these days is Dont be nave rhetoric that speaks to a growing recognition Europe must compete better in key areas, put an urgent focus on security of imports of vital goods, and limit the reach of US and Chinese technology. This aspiration has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, which cruelly laid bare the fragility of international supply chains.

In her inauguration speech as Commission President in 2019, Ursula von der Leyen put technology alongside climate change as top priorities for the next five years, saying the EU, must have mastery and ownership of key technologies in Europe, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and chip technologies.

Kurt Deketelaere, LERU secretary-general, said this goal can be achieved without limiting partnerships with the EUs closest neighbours. It is good for the EU not to be nave, but it should be careful not to swing too much to the other side, he said. An overly protective, EU-first attitude in R&I will weaken, instead of defend, European research and innovation, and hence its competitiveness.

The rest is here:

Universities across Europe urge EU to remove threat of research ban on Israel, UK and Switzerland - Science Business

Which emerging technologies interest developers the most? Thats a key question, since technologies need that kind of developer momentum in order to break into the mainstream.

SlashDatas State of the Developer Nation, as part of its survey of 19,000 developers in 155 countries, asked which emerging technologies engaged them the most. As you might expect, developers turn out to be an inquisitive group: roughly half of those queried were working on, learning about, or interested in robotics,mini apps, and computer vision (which is a vital component in self-driving cars, drones, and other technologies).

Nearly as many were also engaged with cryptocurrencies, blockchain applications outside of cryptocurrency, drones, biometrics for ID verification, 5G, and quantum computing. Heres the full chart:

Although a majority of developers are fascinated by a range of technologies, though, few have actually adopted them into their current projects. For each of the emerging technologies we have discussed, there are different barriers to widespread adoption, notes the report. For many, the barriers are technologicalthe advances needed to bring quantum or DNA computing to the mainstream are many years away, but there are also social, cultural, and even legislative barriers which will impede progress.

Indeed, a recent analysis of data from Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, notes that only avery small percentage of popular technologist jobs require blockchain skillsdespite the rising popularity of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Its a similar story with robotics: Although nifty robotsmake for good headlines at CES, robotics isnt ubiquitous enough to power a huge number of technologist jobs.

That could certainly change, though. LinkedIns Emerging Jobs Report, issued in December 2020, suggested that the demand for robotics and A.I. specialistswill increase dramatically over the next several years. Its also easy to see how the market for mini apps, drones, and other emerging technologies could grow by the end of the decade, especially if a company comes up with a particularly exciting consumer or business application. In technology, it always pays to stay interested in up-and-coming technologies.

Want more great insights?Create a Dice profile today to receive the weekly Dice Advisor newsletter, packed with everything you need to boost your career in tech. Register now

More:

These Emerging Technologies Interest Developers the Most - Dice Insights

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) launched his initiative to invest in and develop innovations in technology during a press conference at Syracuse University on Monday.

Schumer announced the $160 billion piece of legislation alongside SU Chancellor Kent Syverud, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh at the universitys National Veterans Resource Center.

The senatorsplan would dramatically increase U.S. investment in three areas: the advanced manufacturing of semiconductors, the research and development of important technologies and the establishment of regional technology hubs around the country investments that could help lead to the creation of jobs and jump-start innovation in central New York, according to a press release.

The plan includes passing the Endless Frontier Act, which aims to strengthen U.S. leadership in technology and focus education, resources and funding to those areas.The act would invest $100 billion over five years in research, development and workforce training with new technology.

The act would also create a Technology and Innovation Directorate at the National Science Foundation that will send funding to higher education institutions like SU, Schumer said during the press conference. Itwould also provide $10 billion to encourage the development of technology hubs around the country.

We want to see Silicon Valleys throughout the country not just in New York City or San Francisco, Schumer said.

The plan would also fully fund the implementation of the bipartisan semiconductor provisions passed in last years defense bill, which would constitute an upward of $50 billion in emergency federal funding. Semiconductors are crucial elements of silicon chips.

Federal investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing would help Onondaga County recruit a tenant for the White Pine Commercial Park,one of the nations premier sites for manufacturing semiconductors, Schumer said.

The word game changer is very often used, but a chip lab in Onondaga County would be a game changer for all of central New York in a very big and important way, Schumer said.

The senator said he was unable to estimate the number of jobs Onondaga County stands to gain from the plan, as funds will be allocated on merit in the coming months. If the county is able to createsuch a facility,it could result in employment the size of Carrier at its peak, he said.

The U.S. has decreased its production of the worlds semiconductors from 24% to 12%, while China has increased its production from 0% to 16%,Schumer said.

The stakes are enormous, Schumer said in a press release. If we do not invest in the research, development and manufacturing of technologies of the future now, we risk falling behind in the race with China and other global competitors, putting at risk U.S. jobs and national security.

The plan also calls for $50 billion in emergency funding for federal incentives for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research and development, Schumer said.SUs record in recruiting research faculty for fields such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence has put the region in a good position for new funding, the senatorsaid.

McMahon said Syracuse has an ideal tech ecosystem to benefit from the plan because of its facilities and workforce.Syracuse Surge, an economic growth program with the goal of revitalizing the city through technology, has contributed to the citys ability to react to issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Walsh said.

Prior to the pandemic, we were firing on all cylinders, Walsh said. We are in a position to recover quickly and to pick up right where we left off to accelerate that progress.

Schumer said he intends to have the bill on the floor of the Senate in May. He expects it will pass, he said.

Published on April 26, 2021 at 6:53 pm

Go here to see the original:

Sen. Chuck Schumer launches $160 billion technology initiative - The Daily Orange

The future may see us living on Mars, paying for everything with crypto, and relaxing or working as we travel effortlessly about in our driverless cars. But theres an even bigger change coming for many of us, and thats the gradual advent of quantum computing (QC) and what it means for the world of business.

People in the tech business are used to hearing about quantum computing, because its effects as and when it can be delivered at scale will be so gigantic. At the same time it tends to get put in the same folder as fusion power or directed energy weapons, technologies that have been perpetually five years away for many decades.

This long-established position, for many readers, may have obscured the new reality: Quantum computing is actually here in the real world nowadays, albeit on a small scale. Its in use right now by businesses such as IBM and Amazon. This month EU/US audiences (April 21st) and those in APAC (April 22nd) can learn all about the new state of play at a free-to-attend webinar with GlobalData analysts, focused on the real-world business landscape rather than academic theory.

That academic theory of QC is usually explained by saying that where a normal computer operates using bits of information, a quantum computer uses quantum bits or qubits. A normal bit is 1 or 0, on or off: a qubit is much more complicated. When it is measured it will be either 1 or 0; before that, it exists in a quantum superposition of those two states. The quantum superposition is usually described using complex numbers, mathematics based on the so-called imaginary unit, the square root of minus one.

Another way of visualising this is that normal bits are like coins lying on a table. They are either heads or tails up: they can be flipped over. A qubit, however, is like a coin spinning in the air. It can interact with other spinning coins, affecting how they spin, but none of them are heads or tails up until the quantum operations are complete.

Theoreticians can describe what qubits will do in a network of quantum logic gates, even if they dont have any actual machinery capable of carrying out the process. As a result, algorithms can be, and have been, developed for QC machinery even before there was any rather in the way that Ada Lovelace famously wrote some of the first conventional computer programs for Charles Babbages proposed 19th-century mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, even though it was never actually built.

Thus we know many of the things that QC could achieve. Its effects, when it becomes available at appropriate scale, will be enormous. Quantum computers will find a use anywhere there is a large and complicated problem to be solved. That could be anything from predicting the financial markets, to improving weather forecasts, to cracking encryption systems.

Privacy advocates already fear that quantum computing could one day crack todays secure encryption and the many things built on it. Those with a stake in cryptocurrency may naturally be concerned, according to GlobalData analyst Sam Holt.

Bitcoin and other cryptos use an elliptic curve signature scheme where public and private encryption keys are used to verify transactions, Holt explains to Verdict. Older signature tech doesnt hash (fingerprint) the public key and this can therefore be known by anyone. Around 25% of bitcoins are stored using this older tech, and are vulnerable. At the moment, it remains difficult for bad actors to find out the private key. As early as 2027, however, quantum computers could be at the point where they could use the public key to break the encryption.

It could take only one quantum-crypto-heist for investors to lose confidence.

Before this happens though, fellow GlobalData analyst Mike Orme forecasts post-quantum cryptography (PQC) will have been developed using classical computers.

It wont take quantum computers to develop PQC (so) there doesnt seem to be a case for dumping Bitcoin, Orme believes. But there is a case for governments and enterprises to think seriously about shifting out of current RSA-encrypted systems.

Quantum computings capacity for number crunching may make it a lucrative option when it comes to cryptocurrency mining but its not yet at a suitable stage. Todays most advanced mining technology is extremely fast compared to the current clock speed of what quantum computers can offer now or in the short term, and its likely to stay that way for the next decade at least.

For a quantum computer to work in many of the applications which have already been worked out for it, it would need hundreds of thousands, even millions of qubits. The highest we can manage today is around a hundred. The process of a qubit calculation is so sensitive, that the apparatus around it has to block out various forms of interference, especially that of heat. The supply chain for this kind of tech cant yet be called a chain, and expertise is scarce.

But there is nonetheless already a QC market. GlobalDatas recent thematic report on quantum computing notes the QC market size in 2020 to have been somewhere in the range of $80m-$500m (the exact figure is hard to pin down).

Where is this money coming from? One source is Canadian QC company D-Wave, which has been selling quasi-quantum computers since 2011 for $20m each, notably to US national labs. These computers are based on the quantum annealing method, meaning they are suited to solving optimisation problems, but incapable of handling more advanced algorithms and problems.

Most revenue in quantum computing lies in cloud-based quantum service businesses from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, Amazon and others. These Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) providers rent time on prototype quantum processors and simulators, often built using conventional compute power, to the rapidly swelling band of researchers and developers from government, major corporates and start-ups navigating through the quantum world.

These developers know there is money to be made on the software and application side, especially when it comes to algorithms. While it will be years until fully-fledged versions of quantum algorithms can be run on full-size quantum computers, there is scope to develop algorithms for intermediate-scale quantum devices in areas such as logistics optimisation. Such algorithms are likely to work in hybrid systems where some qubits are combined with classical computers in the next five years. Quantum simulators meanwhile, which essentially mimic quantum computers but run on classical computers, are becoming increasingly popular as a way of testing quantum computation without the need for an actual quantum computer.

The last few years have seen some road tests of quantum power, literally: a reduction of car waiting times by 20% in a large-scale traffic simulation, for example. This was achieved by Microsoft in partnership with Toyota Tshuso and Jij, a Japanese quantum algorithm start-up. Algorithms based on a realistic QC model were run on classical computers to reduce the waiting time for drivers at red lights, saving about five seconds on average for each car. In 2019, Volkswagen and D-Wave optimised routes in real-time for a fleet of municipal buses running between stops in Lisbon, considering potential traffic jams and passenger numbers. While hardware development in QC may be stuck in a metaphorical traffic jam, its a different story for QC software.

If youd like to find out more about real-world quantum computing, you can register for GlobalDatas free-to-attend Quantum Computing webinar on 21st April 2021 at 4pm (BST). APAC audiences will find a more suitably scheduled session on the 22nd; sign up free here. These expert-led sessions will explore the risks facing QC investors, and why and when quantum computing will change the game for business.

Read this article:

Quantum computers, here but not here what businesses need to know - Verdict

[Courtesty of LG Electronics]

Multiphysics is the coupled processes or systems involving more than one simultaneously occurring physical field and the studies of and knowledge about these processes and systems. Multiphysics simulations are used to analyze and validate them.

LG Electronics said the joint study would increase the competitiveness of future technologies by utilizing quantum computing that uses quantum bits or qubits, based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the nature and behavior of energy and matter on the quantum level. Theoretically, a quantum computer would gain enormous processing power and perform tasks using all possible permutations simultaneously.

"Quantum computing is an innovative technology that goes beyond existing technologies and has considerable potential," said LG Electronics chief technology officer Park Il-pyung."Based on open innovation strategies, we will strengthen technological competitiveness with potential companies like Qu&Co and promote a high-level application study."

Qu&Co CTO Vincent Elfving said his company would cooperate with LG Electronics to introduce a new technology that effectively solves non-linear problems by utilizing quantum algorithms. The Amsterdam-based company develops quantum-computing algorithms, software and services running on currently available quantum hardware.

South Korea has joined an international race to develop quantum computing technology and hardware. The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to develop a practical five-qubit quantum computer by 2023.

Read this article:

LG Electronics works with Dutch firm to develop quantum computing technology for multiphysics simulation - Aju Business Daily

Qiskit is an open-source framework for creating and running programs on quantum computers. The project was launched by IBM four years ago as an effort to introduce more programmers to quantum computing.

Since then, IBM has updated the SDK to better meet users needs and have provided pulse-level control to help programmers understand and work with qubits. Additionally, the company recently added the Qiskit Optimization model, which enables programmers to focus more on programs and less on how quantum systems work.

RELATED CONTENT: The climb to quantum supremacy

IBM recently announced plans to evolve the Qiskit and provide a runtime environment that better reflects the developer community needs.

Plans include:

These changes, and those to come, all work toward creating frictionless programming on our quantum computers. That makes it easier for programmers to find what theyre looking for and creates a lower barrier to entry for scientists, financial analysts and other domain expert non-programmers who care more about leveraging the power of quantum computing to solve specific problems than they do about quantum circuits or qubit coherence, the IBM Quantum team wrote in a post.

IBM also recently announced a Quantum Developer Certification program to help provide developers with quantum computing skills.

Original post:

SD Times Open-Source Project of the Week: Qiskit - SDTimes.com

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., April 15, 2021 The Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) has awarded the first round of RISE seed grants, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

RISE Research Innovations with Scientists and Engineers is a team of ICDS computational scientists, data scientists and software engineers that help researchers leverage advanced techniques and skills for their research projects. The grant provides access to the team to complement and enhance computationally intense projects.

The first round of seed grants will support four projects:

The members of ICDSs RISE team support scientists in tackling data-driven and computationally intense investigations. In these grants, RISE team members will help the research teams by developing databases and science gateways so team members can access and manage their data efficiently and effectively. The awarded projects offer an example of how the RISE team can help enable computational research and discovery for researchers throughout the University. Some of the other ways the members of RISE can give assistance include offering effective ways to structure code and promoting best practices to improve performance of codes that are run on ICDSs Roar supercomputer.

Researchers are welcome to submit projects for consideration anytime and will be approved based on a rolling deadline. For more information, and to see the full skill set of the RISE team, please visitthe RISE Seed Grant webpage.

Source: PSU

Go here to see the original:

4 Projects Receive Research Computing Support Through PSU ICDS Seed Grants - HPCwire