Google hails breakthrough as quantum computer surpasses ability of supercomputers
Google has claimed a breakthrough in quantum computing after developing an algorithm that performed a task beyond the capabilities of conventional computers,The algorithm, a set of instructions guiding the operation of a quantum computer, was able to compute the structure of a molecule – which paves the way for major discoveries in areas such as medicine and materials science,Google acknowledged, however, that real-world use of quantum computers remained years away,“This is the first time in history that any quantum computer has successfully run a verifiable algorithm that surpasses the ability of supercomputers,” Google said in a blogpost,“This repeatable, beyond-classical computation is the basis for scalable verification, bringing quantum computers closer to becoming tools for practical applications.
”Michel Devoret, the chief scientist at Google’s quantum AI unit, who won the Nobel prize for physics this month, said the announcement was another milestone in his field.“This marks a new step towards full-scale quantum computation,” he said.The algorithm breakthrough, enabling a quantum computer to operate 13,000 times faster than a classical computer, was detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published in Nature on Wednesday.One expert cautioned that the Google achievement, while impressive, focused on a narrow scientific problem without significant real-world impact.The results for two molecules were cross-checked with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) – the same technology behind MRI scans – and revealed information not normally revealed by NMR.
Winfried Hensinger, a professor of quantum technologies at the University of Sussex, said Google had demonstrated “quantum advantage” – meaning its researchers had performed a task making use of a quantum computer that cannot be achieved using a classical computer.But fully fault-tolerant quantum computers, capable of realising some of the tasks that most excite the scientific community, are still some way off as they would require machines capable of hosting hundreds of thousands of quantum bits – the term for a unit of information in a quantum computer.“It’s important to understand the task Google has achieved is not quite as revolutionary as some of the world-changing applications that are anticipated for quantum computers,” Hensinger said.“However, it is yet another convincing proof that quantum computers are gradually becoming more and more powerful.”Truly powerful quantum computers that can deal with a range of challenges require millions qubits – something that current quantum hardware cannot manage because qubits are so volatile.
“Some of the most interesting quantum computers being discussed will require millions or even billions of qubits,” Hensinger said,“This is more difficult to achieve with the type of hardware used by the authors of the Google paper as their hardware requires cooling to extremely low temperatures,”Hartmut Neven, a vice-president of engineering at Google, said real-world use of quantum computers might be five years away despite the breakthrough with the algorithm, which the US tech company has called quantum echoes,Sign up to TechScapeA weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our livesafter newsletter promotion“With quantum echoes we continue to be optimistic that within five years we’ll see real-world applications that are possible only on quantum computers,” he said,Google, a leading player in artificial intelligence, also argues that quantum computers will be able to create unique data that can be fed into AI models and make them more powerful as a consequence.
Classical computers encode their information in bits – represented as 0 or 1 – which are transmitted as an electrical pulse.A text message, email or even a Netflix film streamed on a smartphone is a string of these bits.In quantum computers, however, the information is contained in qubits.These qubits, encased in a modestly sized chip, are particles such as electrons or photons that can be in several states at the same time, a property of quantum physics known as superposition.This means qubits can encode various combinations of 1s and 0s at the same time, and compute their way through vast numbers of different outcomes, which is not possible with classical computers.
However, they have to be kept in a highly controlled environment, such as one free from electromagnetic interference, or else they can be easily disrupted.The progress being made by companies such as Google has led to warnings from cybersecurity experts that it has the ability to crack high-level encryption, prompting calls for governments and companies to adopt quantum-proof cryptography.
ChatGPT Atlas: OpenAI launches web browser centered around its chatbot
OpenAI on Tuesday launched an AI-powered web browser built around its marquee chatbot.“Meet our new browser—ChatGPT Atlas,” a tweet from the company read.The browser is designed to provide a more personalized web experience and includes a ChatGPT sidebar that enables users to asks questions about or engage with various aspects of each website they visit, as demonstrated in a video posted alongside the announcement. Atlas is now available globally on Apple’s Mac operating system and will soon be made available on Windows, iOS and Android, according to OpenAI’s announcement.Meet our new browser—ChatGPT Atlas
‘Significant exposure’: Amazon Web Services outage exposed UK state’s £1.7bn reliance on tech giant
Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy beamed as he met Keir Starmer in Downing Street’s garden to announce £40bn of UK investments in June. Starmer was equally effusive, gushing: “This deal shows that our plan for change is working –bringing in investment, driving growth, and putting more money in people’s pockets.”Four months later, and the tech company was left scrambling to fix a devastating global outage on Monday that left thousands of businesses in limbo – and shed light on the UK government’s reliance on its cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services (AWS).Figures compiled for the Guardian hint at the British state’s increasing reliance on the services of the giant US internet group, which has also drawn criticism from unions and politicians about working conditions within its logistics and internet retailing business.AWS has won 189 UK government contracts worth £1
Salesforce’s CEO backtracks after saying Trump should send troops into San Francisco
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host and editor, Blake Montgomery. What I’m watching this week: South Park’s caricature of Peter Thiel and his obsession with the antichrist. Read our reporting on the show’s inspiration: Thiel’s bizarre off-the-record lectures on the subject. And now, let’s get into things
UK women in tech: we would like to hear from you
The Lovelace Report 2025 in collaboration with WeAreTechWomen has found that between 40,000 and 60,000 women leave the UK’s tech sector every year, costing the economy an estimated £2 billion to £3.5 billion annually.They either exit the industry altogether or move to a new tech employer. An estimated £1.4 billion to £2
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro review: built-in LTE and satellite for phone-free messaging
The latest update to Garmin’s class-leading Fenix adventure watch adds something that could save your life: phone-free communications and emergency messaging on 4G or via satellite.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Fenix 8 Pro takes the already fantastic Fenix 8 and adds in the new cellular tech, plus the option of a cutting-edge microLED screen in a special edition of the watch
Bryan Cranston thanks OpenAI for cracking down on Sora 2 deepfakes
Bryan Cranston has said he is “grateful” to OpenAI for cracking down on deepfakes of himself on the company’s generative AI video platform Sora 2, after users were able to generate his voice and likeness without his consent.The Breaking Bad star approached the actors’ union Sag-Aftra with his concerns after Sora 2 users were able to generate his likeness during the video app’s recent launch phase. On 11 October, the LA Times described a Sora 2 video in which “a synthetic Michael Jackson takes a selfie video with an image of Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston”.Living people must ostensibly give their consent, or opt in, to feature on Sora 2, with OpenAI stating since launch that it takes “measures to block depictions of public figures” and that it has “guardrails intended to ensure that your audio and image likeness are used with your consent”.But when Sora 2 launched, several publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Hollywood Reporter and the LA Times reported widespread anger in Hollywood after OpenAI allegedly told multiple talent agencies and studios that if they didn’t want their clients or copyrighted material replicated on Sora 2, they would have to opt out – rather than opt in
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