Investment in AI has been huge ever since the launch of ChatGPT opened the floodgates for the AI race. Safe to say, we are at the cutting edge of technology right now, and it is going to radically transform industries and societies in the modern world.
Interestingly, before this technology became widely accessible, when it was largely being experimented with in research labs by tech enthusiasts, nobody could quite predict the ripples it would create in modern society. Similarly, there is another new state-of-the-art technology that is currently in its research-level phase, and Sundar Pichai is very excited about it.
In a recent interview with the BBC, the Google CEO said that Quantum Computing today is roughly where artificial intelligence was about five years ago, suggesting that it could soon enter an exciting phase of development. According to Pichai, the technology could benefit society immensely.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai goes big on Quantum
Speaking to BBC Newsnight presenter Faisal Islam, Sundar Pichai stated that his company had “state-of-the-art quantum computing efforts” that could create products capable of triggering another radical shift in the modern world, much like AI is doing today. He suggested that within five years, quantum could become the next major buzzword in the technology market.
“I think we have the state-of-the-art quantum computing efforts in the world. The progress is exciting. I would say quantum is where maybe AI was 5 years ago. So I think in five years from now, we’ll be going through, you know a very exciting phase in quantum,” the Google CEO said.
While the CEO highlighted that the project is still in its experimental phase, he pointed out that his company is heavily investing in it, as Quantum Computing could help scientists understand the nature of the universe far better than we currently can, and potentially build applications and technologies that benefit humanity.
It is a new form of computing that leverages quantum mechanics to process information. Unlike traditional computers, it can tackle extremely complex problems that would take classical machines years to solve.
“We are investing…as you know, the nature of the universe is fundamentally based on the principles of quantum mechanics, and building quantum systems, I think, will help us better simulate and understand nature and unlock many benefits for society,” Pichai added.
Related: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Promotes Pluralism in AI Architecture
Quantum computing is still in its early stages today, but it is quietly approaching the kind of inflection point that AI hit a few years ago, before the boom of tools like ChatGPT.
Furthermore, in the same interview, Pichai said that although AI will be transformational in the long term, it still has a number of blind spots. He warned that people should “not blindly trust everything” that generative AI produces, as these systems are “prone to some errors.”
The CEO also pointed out that the intense hype and investment surrounding AI could create a bubble that may eventually burst. While he believes the technology is here to stay for the long run, he suggested that some investments and companies in the AI sector could go bust if such a bubble were to burst.
With AI, humanity is already going through a revolutionary technological transformation. Now, it remains to be seen whether Pichai’s excitement about quantum computing will translate into real-world applications that could turbocharge the next wave of technological advancements.
Also Read: Cato Networks CEO Shlomo Kramer Thinks The AI Bubble is Real
