Can Quantum Computing Impact the Applications of

Artificial Intelligence?

Kaushik Pal

Quantum computing, a groundbreaking field that harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics to
process information, holds immense potential to revolutionize the world of technology and science. By
leveraging the extraordinary properties of quantum bits, or qubits, such as superposition and
entanglement, quantum computers have the capability to surpass the limitations of traditional computing
systems, offering unprecedented speed, efficiency, and accuracy.

Compared to classical computers that operate in a linear fashion, quantum computing operates on a
fundamentally different level. This fundamental difference enables quantum computers to tackle complex
calculations and algorithms exponentially faster and with higher precision. Consequently, the emergence
of quantum computing paves the way for transformative advancements in various domains, particularly in
the realm of artificial intelligence (AI).

What is quantum computing?

When using quantum computing, however, you can imagine that each book in the library represents a
different possibility or solution. Instead of searching linearly, a quantum computer can explore all the
books simultaneously, thanks to the concept of superposition. It can consider all possible paths at once and
instantly identify the location of the desired book.

Quantum computing utilizes qubits, which can represent multiple states simultaneously, combining both 0
and 1. This allows quantum computers to perform parallel computations and analyze a vast number of
possibilities in a fraction of the time it would take for classical computers to do the same.

As pointed out, quantum computing has multiple use cases across industries and it has helped solve
complex problems. A few use cases are described below.

Traffic management

Consider an ambulance racing through rush-hour traffic, carrying a critically ill patient. Every passing
moment is of utmost importance. The driver urgently needs to identify the least congested routes to ensure
a swift and efficient journey. While conventional computers analyze road conditions sequentially,
quantum computing possesses the remarkable ability to simultaneously evaluate all potential routes,
enabling it to swiftly determine the most optimal suggestion.

Medical care

In the case of treating a critically ill patient with complex conditions, hospitals often convene a medical
board comprising specialists from diverse fields. These experts collaborate to explore different treatment
options and find the most effective solution. However, this approach can be time-consuming, and slow
down decision-making. Quantum computing, on the other hand, has the potential to revolutionize this
process.

By inputting various possibilities into a quantum computing system and providing it with historical data
that corresponds to similar medical conditions, quantum computing can rapidly evaluate the potential
effectiveness of each approach and offer optimal suggestions. This quantum advantage enables healthcare
professionals to obtain valuable insights in a significantly shorter time frame. (Also Read: 9 Uses of
Generative AI in Healthcare)

Machine learning

Quantum computing can provide the ideal stage for machine learning by providing the right data faster.
Machine learning is about computers learning from data and being able to create or understand patterns,
just like the human brain does. However, in many cases, machine learning may be constrained by the poor
quality of data and the slow availability of data. Quantum computing can potentially compute huge
volumes of data quickly and provide the same to machine learning.

Cryptography and security

Cryptography and security are about securing data from unauthorized access. Quantum computing can
potentially take cryptography and security to another level where unauthorized access to data becomes
much harder than before. However, there are two ways to view the role of quantum computing in
cryptography and security. One view is that quantum computing can use qubits to calculate all the
possible ways of data breach attempts and provide appropriate data to fortify the information. But the
opposite view is that quantum computing can also be counterproductive because hackers can use it to
quickly calculate the various possible ways to breach a server that contains highly confidential data.

Criticism
For all the massive advantages quantum computing can potentially offer, there are a few drawbacks. That
doesn’t mean that it’s a bad idea, it just means that it’s worth first identifying how much of the narrative is
hype and how much, substantial. Here are some points that provide a reality check to the hype around
quantum computing.

• Quantum computing is expensive and so far, beyond the reach of organizations that don’t have big
and sustained budgets for it. A quantum computing studio resembles the computer rooms of the
time when computers had just started- they were huge, expensive, and required maintenance. Not
every organization can do that.
• Quantum computing may be more effective than regular computing but it’s extremely sensitive to
noise or data. This means that the data you feed to it must be accurate and in a format that it
accepts, otherwise, it will generate errors. Error correction has been one of the biggest challenges
with quantum computing. The errors it generates when it cannot process the noise are extremely
complex and time-consuming to correct.
• Concerns around the misuse of quantum computing are huge. For all its limitations, quantum
computing can crack open the toughest encryptions. Think of the catastrophizing consequences
when hackers with malicious intentions use quantum computing. Countries have been trying to
acquire a first-mover advantage with regard to that. President Joe Biden of the United States of
America signed the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act to enable the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to adopt quantum computing. But it’s not possible for all the
countries to do it uniformly and that inequality creates a problem among nations.

Conclusion
Quantum computing is a great prospect, waiting to do great things, as clear from the various use cases.
However, there remain problems of cost, sustenance, affordability, data availability, and the issue of
ethics. Out of that list, data availability and ethics seem to be the biggest challenges facing the technology,
as costs are expected to decrease over time. Certain countries are ahead in terms of expediting the
development of quantum computing but there is no guarantee or framework that these countries will not
use quantum computing in ways that are detrimental to other countries.