March 7, 2025 By: JK Tech
Quantum computing has been making headlines for years, with promises of revolutionizing industries like AI, cybersecurity, and drug discovery. But despite all the buzz, we’re still waiting for quantum computers to become truly useful. So, what’s holding them back?
The Big Promise of Quantum Computing
Unlike traditional computers that process information in binary (0s and 1s), quantum computers harness the quirks of quantum mechanics—like entanglement and superposition—to tackle problems far beyond the reach of classical machines. This means they could one day be used to:
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Detect patterns in massive datasets
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Solves complex optimization problems
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Strengthen cryptographic security
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Speed up AI and materials research
With such potential, you’d expect us to be using quantum computers everywhere by now. But the real picture looks different. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, hinted that practical quantum computing might still be 30 years off, causing quantum company stocks to drop. Still, big tech names like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft already offer cloud-based quantum services, and startups like D-Wave and IonQ are pushing the limits. So, where do we stand?
The Reality Check: We’re in the NISQ Era
As of now, experts claim that we are in the Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) era. To put it simply, modern quantum computers are astonishing feats of engineering but are fundamentally limited in these ways:
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Qubits are very fragile and thus prone to errors.
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They need extremely low temperatures.
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Many systems still use classical computing to complete tasks, which causes delays.
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The most advanced quantum computers have approximately 1,000 qubits, yet there is a possibility we would need millions to be able to practically utilize them.
Owing to these challenges, current quantum machines are largely categorized as experimental; they prove the concept but are not ready for everyday use.
How We’re Moving Forward
Even with the challenges, there is movement. Some notable recent progress includes:
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Google’s method of error improvement through grouping qubits.
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The attempt to design more stable photonic and trapped ion qubits.
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There is an attempt to develop qubits that work at room temperature and do not require extreme cooling.
Meanwhile, innovation in quantum programming languages (Microsoft Q# and IBM Qiskit) as well as operating systems is laying the groundwork for the implementation of quantum computing. Microsoft made fundamental strides forward when announcing Majorana 1, the first topological qubit processor that might one day integrate more than a million qubits onto a single silicon chip.
What’s Coming?
Even if the technology catches up, there’s still another problem: who’s going to use it? Right now, quantum computing is so complex that only a small number of researchers and engineers truly understand it. That means we need more education, training, and investment in the workforce before quantum computing becomes mainstream.
Will it take 30 years, as Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang predicts? Maybe. Or maybe we’ll see major breakthroughs much sooner. Either way, one thing is clear—quantum computing is coming. It just won’t be here tomorrow.
