Ibm And Google Say Scalable Quantum Computers Could Arrive Techspot

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 4, 2025, 7:48 PM

ibm and google say scalable quantum computers could arrive techspot

The decades-long quest to create a practical quantum computer is accelerating as major tech companies say they are closing in on designs that could scale from small lab experiments to full working systems within... IBM laid out a detailed plan for a large-scale machine in June, filling in gaps from earlier concepts and declaring it was on track to build one by the end of the decade. “It doesn’t feel like a dream anymore,” Jay Gambetta, head of IBM’s quantum initiative, told Financial Times. “I really do feel like we’ve cracked the code and we’ll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade.” Google, which cleared one of the toughest technical obstacles late last year, says it is also confident it can produce an industrial-scale system within that time frame, while Amazon Web Services cautions that it... The decades-long quest to create a practical quantum computer is accelerating as major tech companies say they are closing in on designs that could scale from small lab experiments to full working systems within...

IBM laid out a detailed plan for a large-scale machine in June, filling in gaps from earlier concepts and declaring it was on track to build one by the end of the decade. “It doesn’t feel like a dream anymore,” Jay Gambetta, head of IBM’s quantum initiative, told Financial Times. “I really do feel like we’ve cracked the code and we’ll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade.” Google, which cleared one of the toughest technical obstacles late last year, says it is also confident it can produce an industrial-scale system within that time frame, while Amazon Web Services cautions that it... The race to build the first workable quantum computer has come alive, with industry leaders Google and IBM both claiming that they can produce full-scale systems within five years. Recent technical breakthroughs have revived confidence in what was once considered little more than fantasy.

"It doesn't feel like a dream anymore," says Jay Gambetta, who is heading up IBM's VP of Quantum. "I really do feel like we've cracked the code and we'll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade." This renewed optimism amongst Big Tech's quantum computing teams comes in spite of the formidable challenges that lay ahead of them. Major tech firms race to build full-scale quantum computers by 2030. Scaling qubits faces key challenges like interference and error correction. Different approaches vie for practicality amid tough engineering hurdles.

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This is an updated version of a story first published on Dec. 3, 2023. The original video can be viewed here. Artificial intelligence is the magic of the moment but this is a story about what's next, something incomprehensible. This past December, IBM announced an advance in an entirely new kind of computing - one that may solve problems in minutes that would take today's supercomputers millions of years. That's the difference in quantum computing, a technology being developed at IBM, Google and others.

It's named for quantum physics, which describes the forces of the subatomic realm. And as we told you last winter, the science is deep and we can't scratch the surface, but we hope to explain just enough so that you won't be blindsided by a breakthrough that... The quantum computer pushes the limits of knowledge--new science, new engineering-- all leading to this processor that computes with the atomic forces that created the universe. Dario Gil: I think this moment, it feels to us like the pioneers of the 1940s and 50s that were building the first digital computers. Tech giants claims that the decades-long race to build a workable quantum computer may finally be entering its home stretch. A series of recent breakthroughs has convinced industry leaders Google and IBM that full-scale, industrial-grade quantum machines could be within reach before 2030.

In June, IBM became the latest to claim a clear path to the prize, unveiling a new blueprint that it says fills in critical gaps left in earlier designs. The company believes its quantum computers could solve problems far beyond the reach of today's classical machines, with potential applications in fields such as AI and materials science. "It doesn't feel like a dream anymore," Jay Gambetta, head of IBM's quantum initiative, told the FT. "I really do feel like we've cracked the code and we'll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade." The quest to build a practical quantum computer, a challenge that has tantalized physicists and computer scientists since the 1980s, is gaining unprecedented momentum. Recent breakthroughs have prompted technology firms to unveil blueprints that could see quantum machines grow from experimental constructs into viable, large-scale systems capable of solving problems beyond the reach of today's supercomputers.

Quantum computing, long seen as a distant goal, is moving closer to reality as leading tech firms outline fresh plans for building scalable machines. In June, IBM released an updated roadmap that it says resolves several of the field's most challenging technical obstacles, setting the stage for what could be the industry's most decisive period. "It doesn't feel like a dream anymore. I really do feel like we've cracked the code and we'll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade," Jay Gambetta, IBM's leader for quantum initiatives, told the Financial Times. Despite recent progress, the road ahead remains lined with formidable hurdles. Even after researchers solved the fundamental physics problems, manufacturers still face daunting engineering challenges.

Oskar Painter, who leads quantum hardware development at Amazon Web Services, cautioned that building a practical quantum computer will require a massive engineering effort and could take another 15 to 30 years. Current quantum prototypes typically use fewer than 200 qubits – the quantum equivalent of bits in conventional computers – but achieving machines with real industrial utility will require systems with a million or more. The challenge is immense, largely because qubits remain in their quantum states for only fractions of a second. As engineers pack in more qubits, interference, or "noise," multiplies, making reliable computation exponentially harder.

Ibm And Google Say Scalable Quantum Computers Could Arrive Techspot

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This Is An Updated Version Of A Story First Published