Nvidia Ceo Revises Stance On Quantum Computing Timeline Amid Mar

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 8:02 AM

nvidia ceo revises stance on quantum computing timeline amid mar

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 In a striking turn of events, Jensen Huang, the esteemed CEO of Nvidia, has recently revisited his earlier predictions about the timeline for quantum computing. Initially, in January 2025, Huang suggested that practical quantum computers might be 15 to 30 years away, a statement that sent ripples through the financial markets and triggered a significant sell-off in quantum computing... However, during Nvidia’s “Quantum Day” event on March 20, 2025, as part of the annual GTC Conference, Huang openly acknowledged that his prior remarks may have been misinterpreted. He expressed genuine surprise at the market’s reaction, noting that he was unaware of the existence of publicly traded quantum computing companies at the time of his initial comments.

This candid admission marks a notable moment for Nvidia, a company renowned for its dominance in graphics processing units (GPUs) and its pivotal role in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. Huang’s revised stance reflects not only a willingness to adapt his views but also an intent to bridge the gap between Nvidia’s traditional computing strengths and the emerging quantum computing landscape. The event itself, attended by representatives from 12 quantum computing firms, underscored a collaborative spirit, hinting at a future where classical and quantum technologies might coexist and complement each other. Back in January 2025, during a Q&A session at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Huang painted a cautious picture of quantum computing’s future. He estimated that “very useful” quantum computers—capable of solving real-world problems beyond the reach of classical systems—would not emerge for at least 15 years, with 20 years being a consensus among his peers, and... This timeline contrasted sharply with the optimism surrounding quantum computing stocks, which had surged in late 2024 following Google’s unveiling of its Willow chip, a breakthrough in error correction that fueled investor enthusiasm.

The immediate aftermath was dramatic. Stocks of companies like Rigetti Computing, IonQ, D-Wave Quantum, and Quantum Computing Inc. plummeted, with declines exceeding 40% in some cases. Collectively, these firms lost over $8 billion in market capitalization, a stark testament to the influence Huang wields in the tech and investment communities. His words, coming from the helm of a $3.4 trillion tech giant, carried weight that few could match, amplifying the market’s sensitivity to his outlook. Yet, Huang later clarified that he had not anticipated such a reaction, revealing a disconnect between his intent and the public’s perception.

Fast forward to March 20, 2025, and Nvidia’s Quantum Day event offered a different narrative. Huang humorously remarked that it might be “the first event in history where a company CEO invites all the guests to explain why he was wrong.” This self-deprecating tone set the stage for a... The inclusion of representatives from Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, both key Nvidia customers with their own quantum initiatives, highlighted the broader industry implications of this gathering. At NVIDIA’s GTC 2025 conference, CEO Jensen Huang dramatically shifted the narrative on quantum computing. Once predicting that “useful” quantum computing was 15–30 years away—a view that had sent publicly traded quantum stocks crashing—Huang now suggests that widespread adoption of humanoid robots powered by quantum advances could be just... Quantum Computing: Four Waves of Evolution During his keynote, Huang outlined a roadmap for AI evolution that includes four waves:

Perception AI: Emerging about a decade ago, focusing on basic tasks such as speech recognition. Generative AI: Dominating the past five years with innovations in text and image creation. Agentic AI: The current phase, characterized by autonomous decision-making and complex reasoning. Physical AI: The future frontier, set to drive real-world applications like humanoid robots in manufacturing and beyond. Huang emphasized that quantum computers, which harness qubits operating in probabilistic states unlike classical bits, are poised to revolutionize how complex problems—from cryptography to logistics optimization—are solved. This marks a significant departure from his earlier skepticism, as he laughed off his previous comments and challenged industry leaders on stage.

Industry Panel Insights Huang hosted two panels featuring representatives from 12 quantum computing companies, including IonQ and D-Wave Quantum Inc. The discussions revealed a range of perspectives: Some panelists highlighted quantum applications already making an impact in drug discovery, materials development, and financial forecasting. Others, like Loïc Henriet (CEO of Pasqal) and Peter Chapman (CEO of IonQ), underscored that quantum systems will complement classical computers as powerful accelerators rather than full-fledged standalone systems. Huang acknowledged the rapid scaling of quantum computing, stating, “Quantum computing is scaling a lot faster than classical computing did.” He closed the panels on an upbeat note, remarking that if his previous assumptions... At closing:

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. In the last two weeks, NVIDIA, the enabler and chief beneficiary of the AI craze, has bought into quantum computing. “I'm a little surprised they haven't done it before,” says Richard Shannon, an investment analyst at Craig Hallum. The investments from NVIDIA’s venture capital arm and other investors—which collectively value quantum computing startups Quantinuum, QuEra and PsiQuantum at over $17 billion—represent a shift in tone for NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang. In January, Huang said that useful quantum computers were 15 to 20 years away, sending publicly-listed quantum computing firms tumbling. He walked this back in March, saying in June that quantum computing had reached an “inflection point” and could “solve some interesting problems in the coming years”.

A NVIDIA spokesperson declined to comment. By positioning itself at the center of the hardware that AI companies need to run their models, NVIDIA has become the world’s most valuable company, valued at $4 trillion. NVIDIA designs GPUs (the chips specialized for running AI algorithms), develops CUDA (which allows the chips to talk to each other), and packages it all into supercomputers the size of fridges—which AI companies are... Quantum computing is unlikely to help NVIDIA’s AI customers. “Quantum computing and AI are sort of diametrically opposed,” said Pete Shadbolt, chief science officer at PsiQuantum, one of the startups that NVIDIA invested in. AI systems are powerful because they learn patterns from vast quantities of data.

Quantum computers, by contrast, “hate data, and they love precision,” said Shadbolt. Proponents believe that quantum computing could usher in a new computing paradigm. Rather than performing numerous simple calculations in parallel, as NVIDIA’s GPUs do, quantum computers could solve a few, extremely valuable equations. Quantinuum does this using ions (charged atoms), PsiQuantum uses photons (light particles), and QuEra uses neutral atoms. These tiny particles obey the strange laws of quantum mechanics: they can be in multiple states at the same time, allowing quantum computers to explore multiple paths of a complex calculation simultaneously, arriving at... This includes shortening the millions of years that it would take classical computers to break the encryption schemes that underlie much of the digital economy to hours, which has sent banks scrambling for “quantum-resistant”...

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.” Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox every day, and stay up-to-date for free 🧠📈 Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox every day, and stay up-to-date for free 🧠📈

Nvidia Ceo Revises Stance On Quantum Computing Timeline Amid Mar

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