Ibm Google Claim Quantum Computers Are Almost Here After Major

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 4, 2025, 8:18 PM

ibm google claim quantum computers are almost here after major

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 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. 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. Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here. Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.

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."

Updated on: July 28, 2024 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News 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. To join the CNBC Technology Executive Council, go to cnbccouncils.com/tec

While there are still differing perspectives on how long it will be until certain types of quantum computing hit commercial viability, experts from big tech companies like Google and IBM as well as smaller... Yet, in a space teeming with unknowns, there's still a lot to learn about the potential fate of a world in quantum's hands. Unlike classical computing, which processes information through bits that can exist in either zeros or ones, quantum computing is an evolving field where quantum bits (or qubits) can occupy both zero and one in... These qubits can then basically communicate with each other to further increase the speed and complexity of information processing in a calculation. Within the field of quantum computing, there are two types of technologies. What most people refer to when they talk about it is universal gate-based models.

The second model is called annealing quantum. "It's a different technology," explained Mandy Birch, CEO and founder of TreQ, a quantum systems engineering company focused on manufacturing applications. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM are aggressively pursuing gate-model quantum computing, each with different qubit technologies and strategies. D-Wave is largely working with annealing technology, which primarily serves companies that want to optimize their operations. Annealing models still have a ways to go, but unlike gate models that researchers are still developing, annealing is able to deliver commercial value today. The long-awaited dream of practical quantum computing is getting closer to reality, thanks to major tech players like IBM and Google.

They are making significant strides toward creating scalable designs that could be turned into fully operational systems in just a few years. This could revolutionize industries by speeding up drug discovery, enhancing AI capabilities, and improving financial market predictions. In June, IBM unveiled an ambitious plan for a large-scale quantum machine. The blueprint fills in the gaps from earlier concepts and shows that the company is on track to build one by the end of this decade. "It doesn't feel like a dream anymore," Jay Gambetta, head of IBM's quantum initiative, told Financial Times. Google, which overcame a major technical hurdle late last year, is also optimistic about producing an industrial-scale system within the same timeframe as IBM.

However, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has warned that it could take 15 to 30 years before these machines become truly useful. The differing timelines highlight the complexity and unpredictability of quantum computing development. Unlike today's computers that work on binary code, quantum computers use qubits. These tiny quantum bits can be 0, 1, or both at the same time. This unique property allows them to explore multiple possibilities simultaneously and solve complex problems much faster than classical computers. The potential applications are huge, from speeding up drug discovery to improving AI capabilities and financial market predictions.

Scaling up quantum computers from less than 200 qubits to over a million will be no small feat. Qubits are inherently unstable and their special quantum states last only for fractions of a second. Plus, adding more of them can create interference that scrambles calculations. Despite these fundamental physics problems, the industry still has to industrialize quantum technology by building chips that can house large numbers of qubits. Half a century ago, a factory in Poughkeepsie, New York, cranked out computer hardware. The profits from mainframes financed pampered employees, scientific research and a dividend that made International Business Machines the most valuable company on the planet.

Now, a diminished IBM gets most of its revenue from soft things: computer programs and business services. But it’s at work on a new kind of machine that could return Poughkeepsie to its glory days. This is where it will assemble quantum computers, the magical devices designed to tackle mathematical challenges that would overwhelm an ordinary computer. If quantum delivers on its promises, engineers will use it to make giant strides in the design of drugs, vaccines, batteries and chemicals. Last year Boston Consulting Group predicted that come 2040, quantum hardware and software providers will be taking in $90 billion to $170 billion of annual revenue. IBM has been part of this rapidly evolving technology since the turn of the century.

Leading its effort: Jay Gambetta, a 46-year-old physicist from Australia who oversees 3,000 employees on six continents doing research. He will not stint quantum, since he has spent his entire career in that field. Gambetta joined IBM’s Watson Research Center, 39 miles south of the Poughkeepsie factory, in 2011 after postdoc years at Yale and then on the faculty at the University of Waterloo. He says, “While I like teaching, really I wanted to build.”

Ibm Google Claim Quantum Computers Are Almost Here After Major

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