Recently, we have witnessed the emergence of two transformative digital revolutions.
The first, at the software level, is already well integrated into our daily lives and widely debated, both for its benefits and its drawbacks, and where almost every day, new applications are unveiled in various sectors, ranging from applications in heaters to share trading, from autonomous cars to biotechnology. The protagonist of this revolution is artificial intelligence (AI), whose presence has become significantly recognised, especially since the creation of ChatGPT. This breakthrough has not only generated widespread controversy but has also triggered a race for business opportunities, creating a commercial frenzy similar to that seen with other disruptive innovations, such as the Metaverse (Who still remembers it?).
Today, we live in the age of AI, where practically no product is launched on the market without integrating some element of AI, even if only to appear modern. AI stands out for its ability to analyse millions of data and offer the best solutions, surpassing human capacity in speed and efficiency, although not in creativity. A striking example was when Deep Blue beat Kasparov at chess, not because it was more creative, but because of its ability to analyse and choose from a vast number of possible moves.
The second revolution, not yet so visible to the general public, is taking place in the hardware field, with the development of quantum computers. This innovation promises to take processing to previously unimaginable heights, benefiting AI and paving the way for even greater challenges. Major companies and nations such as IBM, Google, Amazon, the United States, the United Kingdom and China are in a fierce race to develop these extraordinary machines.
Quantum computing takes us into a new era, the era of QuBits, where the binary concept of 0 and 1 expands to the superposition of these states, introducing a monumental challenge for digital security due to the obsolescence of current encryption algorithms. Several countries have formed task forces to develop new algorithms capable of withstanding quantum processing power and how to protect current data, since it is believed that large volumes of data are being stored for future decipherment by these supercomputers.
The expected benefits of quantum computing are immense, promising to revolutionise areas such as research into new materials, drug development, logistics, the military and subatomic physics, by making it possible to solve complex problems that would take hundreds of years to solve using current processing methods.
We are on the brink of a new digital revolution, where quantum processing power, combined with artificial intelligence, promises to radically transform the world as we know it.
by João Ferreira
Consultant @ Passio Consulting