IBM and AMD Combine Quantum Computing and AI at U.S. National Laboratory

At a glance

IBM, AMD, and the Quantum Science Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States are jointly building a new platform to reduce errors in quantum computers. Quantum computers will work alongside regular computers to solve problems, and the platform is linked to the U.S. Department of Energy's quantum programs. The goal is to build quantum computers useful for scientific research by 2028.

Key points

1. 1

   Quantum computers easily lose information from even tiny noise, so error correction (a technique that fixes incorrect calculations) is important.

2. 2

   IBM will install its latest 120-qubit (a unit of quantum information) quantum processor alongside Oak Ridge's high-performance computers and AMD graphics chips.

3. 3

   IBM said it has currently demonstrated up to 70 logical qubits and 438 difficult operations.

4. 4

   To reach the Department of Energy's target of 100,000 difficult operations, the number of operations must increase about 230 times.

Why it matters

This news shows how close quantum computers are to being able to solve real scientific problems.