Quantum News Briefs October 9:

Focus on AI may divert finance resources away from QIST; Congress urged to collectively champion quantum

Joseph Keller, PhD,  warns in his October 8 editorial in The Hill that “Recent legislation does not prioritize emerging technologies equally — a focus on AI threatens to divert finite resources away from QIST-related activities.” Quantum News Briefs summarizes the editorial by .,  a cognitive scientist and visiting fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.
Keller writes that “AI and quantum may compete for finite resources, particularly in terms of facilities for manufacturing chips.” The AI wave could also absorb the majority of talent and resources for the next decade, which are now desperately needed. As generative AI dominates headlines, the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQI) faces expiration and is further complicated by political turmoil and uncertain government funding. Congress must reaffirm the U.S. commitment to QIST and acknowledge its critical importance to U.S. competitiveness and national security as well.
QIST, like AI, has become increasingly entwined with geopolitics. China’s QIST investments account for half of the global total, thus intensifying the competition between the United States and China in areas like intellectual property and tech transfer.
Recent developments bring us to this inflection point., writes Keller The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act was signed into law in December of 2022, and similar initiatives are vital. An approach to QIST, similar to methods implemented by NSF’s Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, may be warranted to maximize the societal benefits of this technology.
The 118th Congress can solidify sustained U.S. federal investment and follow-through in QIST R&D. To ensure QIST’s success, Congress must reauthorize and expand R&D activities under the NQI Act, while also addressing national security, workforce and supply chain concerns. Historically key to legislative efforts associated with AI, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology may be signaling interest in QIST just as the Senate emphasizes AI as their current priority. While the U.S. stands at the precipice of groundbreaking technological advancements, it is crucial for Congress to collectively champion the cause of QIST, ultimately shaping a future defined by innovation, security and global competitiveness.  Click here to read Keller’s editorial in-entirety.

The Blaise Pascal [re]Generative Quantum Challenge underway to reimagine sustainable solutions to environmental challenges

With rising concerns over climate change and the environmental footprint of digital solutions, the inaugural Blaise Pascal [re]Generative Quantum Challenge, a unique hackathon running from October 5th to November 15th, seeks to bridge the gap. Dedicated to creating solutions to environmental challenges with quantum computers, the hackathon has garnered overwhelming interest, exceeding original capacity limits of 700 participants. Quantum News Briefs summarizes this development.>The Challenge’s core objective: harness quantum computing for tangible, sustainable progress. Embracing the philosophy that “quantum computing is the roadmap towards greener calculations,” participants from diverse backgrounds and expertise have been inspired to reimagine sustainable solutions.
The interest in quantum computing and desire to solve the world’s toughest problems is exemplified by large number of registrations and more than 60 projects proposed. Participants hail from over 25 countries and six continents. The strongest interest came from France, India, United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility, the hackathon has drawn participants with backgrounds ranging from the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing to marketing and design.
Competing teams have the chance to share a prize pool of 50,000€, including an impressive 15,000€ award for the top contender, to be unveiled on the final demo day, November 15. In collaboration with PASQAL, participants will immerse themselves in advanced quantum computing technologies, fostering innovation, networking, and exploration.  Click here to read in-detail about the Challenge and review the announcement in-entirety.

 BosonQ PSI & Quest Global Partner to solve complex engineering problems with quantum applications

BosonQ PSI (BQP) announced its strategic partnership with Quest Global to provide cutting-edge quantum solutions to solve complex engineering problems, fast-track innovation, and achieve cost efficiency. Quantum News Briefs summarizes the October 6 announcement.
The partnership between BQP and Quest Global stems from a shared vision to solve complex engineering problems and pave the way for a better future. Quest Global’s deep understanding of engineering requirements in industries as Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, and Energy among others compliments BQP’s expertise to address hard to solve simulations by leveraging quantum computing.
According to Rut Lineswala, Founder and CTO, BQP, “Our partnership with Quest-Global represents a significant step towards solving complex engineering problems in a way that was once unimaginable. By combining quantum technology with Quest Global’s engineering expertise, we have the potential to reshape industries and bring about a paradigm shift in how challenges are approached and addressed.”
Currently, BosonQ Psi is in the process of developing BQPhy, an innovative software suite that utilises quantum power to deliver simulation-as-a-service (Q-SaaS). The ground-breaking software suite will offer unparalleled computational benefits in a wide range of engineering simulation domains. Currently, it offers functionalities in structural mechanics, thermal sciences, and design optimization.
By leveraging BosonQ Psi’s expertise in software simulation, Quest Global aims to deliver cutting-edge solutions to its customers. “As customers shrink their product development lifecycles, accelerating simulation is a key element to achieving that,” said T.C. Ramesh, Head of Innovation and Technology, Quest Global.  “With our knowledge of customer products and new technology of Quantum computing from BosonQPsi, we believe we can help our customers across multiple industries.” Click here to read the announcement in-entirety.

D-Wave Quantum announces progress in development of high-coherence qubits

D-Wave Quantum, a leader in quantum computing systems, software, and services, and the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, recently announced notable progress in its development of high-coherence qubits, with results expected to have a significant impact on its future quantum technologies. The fluxonium qubits that D-Wave has designed, manufactured, and operated demonstrate quantum properties comparable to the best in scientific literature to date.
The fluxonium qubit was pioneered by Michel Devoret and his colleagues at Yale University in 2009 and has recently become an attractive candidate for use in next-generation gate model quantum computing architectures. With the industry’s growing interest and D-Wave’s expertise in flux-like quantum.
“These results show that fluxonium is a viable candidate qubit for D-Wave’s gate model quantum computing architectures. Moreover, in doing this work, we have learned that fluxonium can address some of the known shortcomings of competing superconducting gate model qubits,” said Mark Johnson, SVP of quantum technologies and systems products at D-Wave (https://ibn.fm/icFXs). “We believe this will have a significant impact on D-Wave’s hardware development and reinforces our technical leadership by demonstrating that we can design, manufacture, and operate high-coherence fluxonium qubits that are comparable to the best in the world.”
D-Wave is strategically positioned to help its customers achieve value by leveraging quantum computing in practical business applications, due to its use of annealing quantum computers. As one of the few companies offering a full stack of quantum computing systems, software, and services, D-Wave is making strides to enable enterprises, governments, developers, and researchers to access the power of quantum computing, which is a unique attribute for prospective investors. Click here to read the complete announcement.

Sandra K. Helsel, Ph.D. has been researching and reporting on frontier technologies since 1990.  She has her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.

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• Source: https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/news-archive/quantum-news-briefs-october-9-focus-on-ai-may-divert-finance-resources-away-from-qist-the-blaise-pascal-regenerative-quantum-challenge-underway-to/