Printer compatible versionFrom the editor's desk: The next leap forward
January 2024
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Kim Roberts, Editor
It's a fresh new year full of possibilities. happy new year. I wish you all the best in this year as you face the challenges ahead and enjoy all that is good about this country.
This issue features the Bumper Automation Experts section, which has been the voice of South Africa's SI community for many years. We'll start with an overview of how he chooses SIs and a contribution from Iritron. We have more planned for the future. We welcome case studies and company profiles from local SIs.
The new year is all about looking to the future, but if you're like me, you're still trying to figure out what's going on with generative AI and how to make it work. Please fasten your seat belt. That's not all. Scientists are pushing the limits again, this time with quantum computing. I wanted to know more so here I go.
Quantum computing is a part of quantum mechanics that explores how the physical world works at the molecular level. Essentially, this is the next generation of super-fast computers that process information as quantum bits, or quantum bits. This replaces the normal computing bits (either 0 or 1) that we are used to. In quantum computing, qubits are small subatomic particles that can exist in different states. This means that they can be 1 or 0 at the same time, or any state in between, like a coin spinning in the air.
Therefore, the process involves an infinite number of variables, not just two. Computing power will increase exponentially, and quantum computers will be able to perform calculations much faster than they currently can. Quantum computers are estimated to run 158 million times faster than the fastest supercomputers currently available. Complex problems that would take years on today's most powerful supercomputers are solved in seconds.
Although large-scale quantum computers are not yet commercially available, quantum computing is already with us. In 5-10 years, it could become as mainstream as the classic computers of the 70s and 80s. The world's largest technology companies are racing to gain an edge in quantum technology. IBM has more than 60 quantum computers in operation and has partnered with industry giants ranging from Exxon Mobil to Sony. Its new 433-qubit Osprey chip is the world's most powerful quantum processor, faster than the total number of atoms in the known universe. IBM recognizes the importance of sharing to build a quantum-centric industry and is making some of its technology freely available. The company's open source quantum toolkit, Qiskit, is available on more than 20 quantum computers and has been downloaded over 450,000 times.
Quantum computers break new ground in mathematics and science and could help solve challenges such as understanding climate patterns. These could potentially be used to solve problems that today's computers cannot solve, such as logistics and supply chain management. Quantum machine learning also has the potential to bring significant improvements in data analysis and pattern recognition. It's as if ML hasn't done that yet. This paves the way for the development of new materials and the tracking of financial transactions across global financial networks, including money laundering. All the big banks have their own quantum teams and are looking at what can be done.
The possibilities for industrial applications are endless; for example, it currently takes at least four years to create a new car model from scratch. Boeing has been working with IBM's quantum team since 2020 to design new materials for next-generation aircraft. Other problems for which quantum computers can be used include predicting traffic flow in complex urban environments. By simulating complex chemical reactions that cannot be modeled using regular computers, it may be possible to accelerate the discovery of new drugs.
There are risks with any new disruptive technology, and a big one is security. Cybersecurity is currently based on RSA, an asymmetric encryption algorithm used to securely transmit data. It would take a normal computer billions of years to crack his RSA algorithm, but a fast quantum computer would take hours. Current encryption algorithms will become obsolete, putting communications, financial transactions, and military defense at risk. There is also a race to develop new encryption methods that are resistant to such attacks.
Quantum computing is poised to shake up the world once again, even if it may not be widely accessible or practical for several years. I think it will take 5 years. First he talked about IIoT (generative AI), and he will also talk about quantum computing and qubits.
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References:
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