Jensen Huang Clarifies His Comments On Quantum Computer At Observer

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 2:30 AM

jensen huang clarifies his comments on quantum computer at observer

At GTC 2025 in San Jose, Calif. today (Mar. 20), Nvidia hosted its first ever Quantum Day, an event to explore how quantum technology could impact industries. It featured a panel discussion led by CEO Jensen Huang, alongside executives from leading quantum computing companies like Atom Computing, D-Wave, Infleqtion, QuEra, IonQ, Pasqal and Quantinuum. Huang took the stage to clarify his statement in January that practical quantum computers were still 15 to 30 years away—which caused the stock prices of several quantum computing companies to plummet. By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties.

You can opt out anytime. “I said it will take years to achieve was always because of the sheer complexity of the technology. When stocks went down, I didn’t even realize these companies were public,” said Jensen. “Today, I am here to invite every quantum company CEO to prove me wrong. This panel is a therapy session for me,” he added jokingly. But more importantly, Huang announced that Nvidia is investing in a new Boston-based research facility to accelerate quantum computing innovations.

The Nvidia Accelerated Quantum Research Center (NVAQC) will focus on integrating A.I. supercomputing with quantum systems, particularly emphasizing quantum error correction—a critical hurdle in making quantum computing practical. The new center will collaborate with Harvard’s Quantum Initiative and MIT’s Engineering Quantum Systems group and quantum companies including Quantinuum, Quantum Machines and QuEra Computing. Huang first welcomed Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave, with a smile and a handshake. During the panel discussion, Baratz pointed to scientific applications where quantum computing is already playing a vital role. “There are problems in the world today that classical computing, or even A.I.

alone, can’t solve,” said Baratz. “Think about accurate weather forecasting or drug discovery. Quantum computing can also help A.I. models become more power-efficient.” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he missed the mark on quantum computing's future. He backpedaled comments he made in January, when he said “useful” applications for the technology are 20 years away.

His remarks at the time sent quantum computing stocks tumbling. But during Nvidia’s “Quantum Day” event on Thursday, Huang revised his projected timeline and said “this is the first event in history where a company CEO invites all of the guests to explain why... Jensen Huang just revised his stance on the quantum computing timeline, even acknowledging that a quantum company could one day surpass NVIDIA. Rather than backtracking, he embraced the industry’s momentum, reinforcing NVIDIA’s commitment to the quantum future. A rare and refreshing moment of leadership. Read the CNBC article here: https://lnkd.in/dQdp7s-9 And check out my original take on NVIDIA’s quiet quantum strategy below.

#NVIDIA #Quantum #Leadership #CUDAQ NVIDIA has mastered the art of quiet innovation, shaping industries from AI to quantum computing with calculated moves and strategic partnerships. Discover how their behind-the-scenes leadership is building the future of technology. #Innovation #QuantumComputing #AI #Blockchain #TechLeadership Admitting 'I was wrong,' NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's recent apology at GTC 2025 underscores the rapid advancements in quantum computing. His January remarks predicting useful quantum computers were decades away led to significant stock sell-offs for companies like Rigetti, IonQ, and D-Wave.

At GTC, Huang acknowledged his misjudgment and invited leaders from these firms to discuss their progress. He emphasized rethinking quantum computers as scientific instruments and highlighted the potential of hybrid systems combining quantum and classical computing. Despite his apology, quantum computing stocks continued to decline, reflecting ongoing market skepticism. This episode reminds us of the importance of staying informed and adaptable in the face of technological evolution. #quantumcomputing #nvidia #jensenhuang I am an analyst & digital transformation expert & experienced manager

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Thursday walked back comments he made in January, when he cast doubt on whether useful quantum computers would hit the market in the next 15 years. At Nvidia's "Quantum Day" event, part of the company's annual GTC Conference, Huang admitted that his comments came out wrong. "This is the first event in history where a company CEO invites all of the guests to explain why he was wrong," Huang said. In January, Huang sent quantum computing stocks reeling when he said 15 years was "on the early side" in considering how long it would be before the technology would be useful. He said at the time that 20 years was a timeframe that "a whole bunch of us would believe." In his opening comments on Thursday, Huang drew comparisons between pre-revenue quantum companies and Nvidia's early days.

He said it took over 20 years for Nvidia to build out its software and hardware business. Huang said quantum has "potential" weeks after negativity tanked stocks When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has stepped back from his prediction that practical quantum computing applications are decades away following comments that sent stocks spiraling in January. At Nvidia GTC’s "Quantum Day" event, Huang took a conciliatory tone to the quantum industry, comparing quantum to the GPUs made by Nvidia, noting the latter took plenty of time to make an impact.

"This is the first event in history where a company CEO invites all of the guests to explain why he was wrong," Huang said, according to CNBC, while opening an event that had a... At NVIDIA’s GTC 2025 conference, CEO Jensen Huang took a surprising turn on his earlier skepticism toward quantum computing. Hosting two panels with leaders from 12 top quantum companies, including IonQ and D-Wave Quantum Inc., Huang joked about his January comments that “useful” quantum computing was 15-30 years away—a statement that previously sent... Quantum computers, unlike traditional systems, use qubits that exist in multiple states simultaneously. They’re expected to revolutionize fields like cryptography, logistics, materials science, and drug discovery. During the panels, Huang challenged the CEOs to prove him wrong, quipping, “How could a quantum computer company be public?”

Executives from companies such as Pasqal, Quantum Computing Inc., and Rigetti shared real-world use cases and emphasized quantum’s growing synergy with classical computing. Pasqal’s CEO Loïc Henriet likened quantum systems to accelerators, while IonQ’s Peter Chapman noted that future computing will involve seamless interaction between classical and quantum machines. Despite this optimism, public quantum stocks continued to struggle, reacting to lingering investor skepticism. At market close, D-Wave (QBTS) dropped 18%, Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) fell 11.7%, IonQ (IONQ) declined 9.3%, and Rigetti (RGTI) slipped 9.2%. Huang acknowledged the industry's rapid progress, stating, “Quantum computing is scaling a lot faster than classical computing did.” He concluded by saying that if his misjudgment brought more attention to quantum innovation, then it...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang apologized for comments he made earlier this year that caused stock prices of quantum computing companies to plunge. During a panel meeting at Nvidia’s GTC conference, Huang said he was “wrong” in suggesting that quantum computers would not be useful for 15 to 30 years. Share prices for IonQ and D-Wave suffered major drops after his first statement in January before losing more than 40% value from their stock. According to Huang, his initial comment relied on his background of constructing old-fashioned computer systems that necessitate decades to bring to life. However, he invited leaders from quantum companies like PsiQuantum and D-Wave to discuss why his timeline was off. “They can explain why I was wrong,” Huang said, calling the panel the “first event where a CEO invites guests to prove him wrong.”

The discussion focused on challenges in quantum computing, such as fixing errors caused by the unstable nature of quantum particles. Companies argued that progress is faster than Huang assumed, with some aiming to build practical quantum systems within years, not decades. Huang’s New Idea Call It a “Quantum Instrument” Even while apologizing, Huang questioned whether labeling these systems as “quantum computers” sets unfair expectations. He suggested calling them “quantum instruments” instead, as they solve specific scientific problems rather than handling everyday tasks like spreadsheets. “Very useful quantum computers are still a few decades away,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during a keynote presentation at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week.

His comment sent shockwaves through the quantum computing industry, with shares of leading companies like Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum and IonQ plummeting between 30 and 50 percent. These companies’ CEOs were quick to defend their industry in a bid to win back investor confidence. By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. “Jensen Huang has a misunderstanding of quantum. He is ‘dead wrong’ about D-Wave,” Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave Quantum, which develops quantum computing systems, told Observer.

“There is more than one approach to building a quantum computer. Our (D-Wave) systems are performing scientific computations on important problems that are not solvable by even massively parallel GPU systems.” D-Wave uses quantum annealing, an approach that excels in solving specific computational optimization problems. This method is particularly useful for materials simulation, scheduling and logistics applications. “Commercial quantum computing is already here,” Baratz added. For example, Canada-based Pattison Food Group reduced an 80-hour scheduling task to 15 hours using D-Wave’s technology. Another client, NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s largest telecom provider, slashed the time to optimize network resources from 27 hours to just 40 seconds.

Quantum computing CEOs are also talking up their companies’ revenue and profit prospects. D-Wave estimated its 2024 sales jumped 120 percent from the previous year. IonQ, which makes quantum computers, predicts it will turn a profit on more than $1 billion in sales by 2030, CEO Peter Chapman wrote in a blog post on Jan. 10. Quantum computing relies on qubits—units of data that can exist in multiple states at once—and holds the potential to quickly solve calculations that would take even supercomputers a thousand years. Exciting recent developments include Google’s Willow chip, which solved a random circuit sampling (RCS) benchmark problem in just five minutes.

RCS, one of the most challenging benchmarks for quantum computers, would take today’s fastest supercomputer 10 septillion years (1 followed by 24 zeros) to solve, Google claims.

Jensen Huang Clarifies His Comments On Quantum Computer At Observer

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