On May 19th, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced at its I/O Developer Conference that Google is building a new quantum AI campus in Santa Barbara, California, including its first Quantum Data Center. In addition, the company plans to manufacture the first commercial quantum computer by 2029.
The following is the full text of the blog:
In the next ten years, Google’s goal is to produce the first useful, error-correcting quantum computer. This will accelerate the pace of solving many of the world’s most pressing problems, such as developing sustainable energy sources and reducing emissions to feed the world’s growing population, and releasing new scientific discoveries, such as AI that can provide more help.
To begin our journey, today we unveiled our new quantum AI campus in Santa Barbara, California. This park includes our first quantum data center, quantum hardware research laboratory, and our own quantum processor chip manufacturing facility. Here, our team is working hard to build the world’s first error-correcting quantum computer.
Join us on Telegram
Google started using machine learning (for spell checking in search) 20 years ago and led the deep learning revolution (advanced neural networks, the leading method of modern AI research and development) 10 years ago. These advancements in AI and other technologies have enabled many of the incredible applications we see today. Looking forward to the next 10 years, from climate change to respond to the next epidemic, many of the biggest global challenges will require a new computing technology to help.
In order to make better batteries (to reduce the load on the grid), or to make fertilizers to feed the world without generating 2% of global carbon emissions, or to create more targeted epidemic drugs, we need to better understand and design molecules. This means accurately simulating nature, but using traditional computers cannot simulate molecules well. Even for medium-sized molecules, computing resources will quickly run out.
But this is where the quantum computer comes in. Quantum computers use qubits, which can be entangled in a complex state superposition, which naturally reflects the complexity of molecules in the real world.
With error-correcting quantum computers, we will be able to simulate the behavior and interaction of molecules so that we can test and invent new chemical processes and new materials before investing in expensive real-world prototypes. These new computing capabilities will help accelerate the discovery of better batteries, energy-saving fertilizers, and targeted drugs, as well as improve and optimize new AI architectures.
Our journey to build an error-correcting quantum computer within ten years includes several scientific milestones. The first is the construction of error-correcting logic qubits. To achieve this goal, we are embarking on a journey to build 1 million physical qubits that work together in a room-sized error-correcting quantum computer. Compared with today’s medium-scale quantum system with less than 100 qubits, this will be a huge leap forward.
To achieve this goal, we must build the world’s first “quantum transistor”, that is, two error-correcting “logical qubits” that perform quantum operations together, and then find ways to splice hundreds to thousands of qubits together to form Error-correcting quantum computer. This will take several years.
In this process, we need to prove that we can encode a logical qubit with 1000 physical qubits. Using quantum error correction, these physical qubits work together to form a long-lived, nearly perfect qubit until the power is cut off, which opens the digital era of quantum computing. Similarly, we look forward to many years of coordinated development to achieve this goal.
To do this, we need to prove that the more physical qubits involved in error correction, the more errors you can reduce in the first place. Considering that physical qubits are very error-prone, this is a crucial step. We are currently doing this research in our Quantum AI Park.
We are already running quantum computers that can perform calculations that traditional computers cannot do. In order to continue this journey towards building useful error-correcting quantum computers, and to provide humans with a new tool that adapts to the natural way of working, we are forming an amazing team, right here, right now, at Google’s In the quantum AI park, jointly invent the future of computing.
|Source|
