Google has introduced Willow, an advanced quantum computing chip which it claims can solve complex problems that would usually take advanced computers more than ten septillion years to complete.
That is more time than has elapsed in the history of the universe, and 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 in figures, to be exact.
A blog from Hartmut Neven, Google’s head of quantum AI outlined the breakthrough, although it should be stressed that Willow is essentially an experimental device. It provides a prototype and a vision of what could be possible in the future but it will require several years and billions of dollars to deliver a quantum computer capable of reaching its full potential.
This was acknowledged by Neven when he said “Willow moves us significantly along that path towards commercially relevant applications.”
Quantum computing is not just the latest generation of tech, it is a separate, very different setup compared to the components of a regular laptop or mobile phone.
It utilizes quantum mechanics – the makeup and behavior of minute particles – to provide answers and solutions, way beyond the possibilities of conventional computers.
Willow was created at the Alphabet-owned company’s dedicated production facility in Santa Barbara, California, where it recorded an “astonishing” benchmark performance.
Google detailed how its quantum error correction achieved below-threshold status – this is the result of reducing errors when increasing the number of qubits used.
Computing expert urges caution on Google’s breakthrough
In tests, Google used the random circuit sampling (RCS) benchmark, described as the “classically hardest” that quantum computing can be measured against.
However, a computing expert at Surrey University warned of the perils of “comparing apples with oranges”.
Professor Alan Woodward told BBC News quantum computers will be better at a range of tasks than current “classical” computers, but they will not replace them.
He sent a warning not to overstate the importance and status of Willow from one single test.
Google selected a problem to use as a benchmark of performance that was, “tailor-made for a quantum computer” that did not show “a universal speeding up when compared to classical computers,” according to the Professor.
Woodward did state Willow demonstrated significant progress on error correction, in particular.
Image credit: Via Midjourney
