Why did NASA shut down quantum computer?Quantum Computing (2024)

FAQs

Why did NASA stop quantum computing? ›

The abrupt shutdown of NASA's quantum computing project was triggered by an unforeseen incident during a routine test. During the analysis of a complex simulation, the quantum computer demonstrated unprecedented computational power, solving a previously intractable problem.

Qubits (or anything from the quantum realm) are extremely small, so even the smallest perturbation or vibration can cause them to behave chaotically. Not to mention that in a large system with many qubits, such as a quantum computer, there are bound to be a few errors in the state of the qubits.

Compared with standard computers, quantum computers are extremely susceptible to noise. The quantum state of qubits is extremely fragile and any disturbance, such as a slight vibration or a change in temperature, can uncontrollably affect the computer, causing information stored to be lost.

Quantum computers are getting ever more powerful, but their fundamental building blocks – quantum bits, or qubits – are highly error prone, limiting their widespread use.

It was never as economical as expendable rockets for the task of launching satellites. NASA budget pressures partly caused by the chronically high NASA Space Shuttle program costs have eliminated NASA crewed space flight beyond low earth orbit since Apollo, and severely curtailed use of uncrewed probes.

Planning for quantum computing risk

Quantum computers will be able to break common encryption methods at an alarming speed. Encryption tools currently used to protect everything from banking and retail transactions to business data, documents and digital signatures can be rendered ineffective – fast.

The delicate nature of quantum systems makes them extremely vulnerable to the slightest disturbance, whether that's a stray photon created by heat, a random signal from the surrounding electronics, or a physical vibration. This noise wreaks havoc, generating errors or even stopping a quantum computation in its tracks.

Classical computers are much faster than quantum computers, but sometimes quantum computers have dramatically better algorithms. So, in our analogy, classical computers would always be better in open water, where both have access to the best route (algorithm).

Elon Musk's proposed Quantum AI represents a significant leap forward in the realms of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. According to Smith and Johnson (2021), Musk envisions Quantum AI as a convergence of quantum computing's immense processing power with AI's problem-solving capabilities.

New research from Australia's national science agency has found AI could help solve quantum computing errors. This is a key step which could one day lead to quantum computers solving complex real-world problems.

Which is more powerful, AI or quantum computing? ›

Quantum computers can process a vast number of possibilities simultaneously. This could potentially speed up AI algorithms and process larger datasets more efficiently, leading to more powerful AI models.

Google said the quantum system offered a combination of fewer errors and better performance than its previous systems. But the company also found out that it had to sacrifice a lot of quantum performance in order to bring stability to the system.

As documented in "Space Shuttle Disaster," the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's report makes a strong case for the shuttle's retirement, based on the design and safety issues laid bare by the loss of both Columbia, in 2003, and Challenger, 17 years earlier. Fourteen astronauts died in those accidents.

No, the cooling requirements of Quantum computers make them impractical to use outside of specialized facilities. Few people could afford to buy and maintain a Liquid helium cooling system. The need for powerful computers in homes or businesses is decreasing.