(Reuters) – Beijing- On Thursday, Chinese search engine giant Baidu Inc. showcased its first quantum computer and announced plans to make it open to the public, entering the worldwide race to put the technology to practical use.
According to an announcement from Baidu, the “Qianshi” quantum computer features a 10-quantum-bit (qubit) processor. According to the business, it has also built a 36-qubit quantum device.
For years, governments and businesses throughout the world have extolled the potential of quantum computing, a type of high-speed computation at extremely low temperatures that could propel computers to unparalleled processing rates.
However, the field’s current real-world applications are still very basic and limited to a small group of early clients.
The United States, China, and the European Union have all launched massively funded quantum computing programs in the hope of gaining an advantage in the sector, which is widely seen as one of the pillars upon which the new global supremacy will be defined.
According to market analyst IDC, global governments and corporations will invest around $16.4 billion in quantum development by the end of 2027.
IBM, the world’s largest technology company, has announced ambitions to commercialize a quantum computer with a more-than-4,000-qubit processor by 2025. IBM has delivered quantum computers with 127 qubits thus far.
Alphabet Inc’s Google also plans to construct a computer with one million qubits by the end of the decade.
