Quantum computing and other technologies like quantum AI are regarded as the next big wave after AI, according to the results of a global survey of 500 business leaders across industries.
The findings indicate that interest in quantum is very high, with more than 60% of respondents indicating they are actively investing or exploring opportunities in quantum AI.
Yet these business leaders also cited crucial barriers to adoption of quantum AI. Among their top concerns were high cost (38%), lack of understanding or knowledge (35%), and uncertainty around practical, real-world uses (31%). The survey results indicate that while interest in quantum AI is on the rise, organisations need a clear roadmap and guide to better leverage this technology.
“For decades SAS has helped organisations across a host of industries find better answers faster and improve business decisions through data and AI. With the emergence of quantum technologies, companies can analyse more data than ever and achieve amazingly fast answers to very complex questions involving myriad variables,” said Bill Wisotsky, Principal Quantum Architect, SAS. “Our goal is to make quantum research simple and intuitive for our customers and help them apply it to their business.”
In April, SAS conducted a global pulse survey of business managers across five countries: China, France, Mexico, the UK and US. They represented a range of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, retail, government and banking.
The survey discovered that more than 70% of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with the concept of quantum AI. They also saw the most potential for quantum AI in business functions related to data analytics and machine learning (48%), research and development (41%), cybersecurity (35%), supply chain and logistics (31%), finance and risk management (26%), and marketing (20%).
In addition to those noted above, these business managers also cited a lack of trained personnel (31%) and a lack of clear regulatory guidelines (26%) as critical barriers to the adoption of quantum AI.
A major consumer goods company is working with SAS on a proof of concept related to hybrid quantum-classical optimisation, for example, using quantum annealing and SAS classical optimisation solvers.
It is one of several organisations with whom SAS is collaborating to apply data and AI to complex and compute-intensive business challenges. Quantum AI and advanced models can take advantage of the significant speed increase and expressibility of quantum computers.
Today’s research into quantum computing and quantum AI is extremely complex, at times confusing, and often cloaked in hype. Some predict widespread adoption of quantum technology to be years away.
Yet SAS is already tackling real-world problems by applying hybrid architectures, which include both quantum and traditional (AKA classical) computing. SAS is working with top companies to explore breakthrough solutions to business challenges.
Quantum AI brings together quantum computing and AI to develop new algorithms, models and systems that can process complex data, train complicated machine learning models, and solve problems considered challenging or impossible with traditional computers. SAS researchers are focused on key industries that will benefit from the speed and scale of quantum AI, which includes life sciences for enhanced drug discovery, financial services for better risk management, and manufacturing for improved materials and optimised processes.
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