According to Forbes, Google researchers claim to have achieved “quantum supremacy” technology after tireless efforts, and this recent news has generated a great deal of excitement as this technology has been warmly received. Despite Google’s fanfare through its research and dedication to “quantum supremacy,” not everyone agrees.
Of course, this does not mean that the significance of Google’s use of a 54-qubit Sycamore processor is insignificant in advancing achievable quantum operations. On the contrary, in fact, the processor has taken a big step forward in enabling practical quantum operations, but whether the current level of quantum computing is worthy of the title of “real and supreme” is still up for debate, as many believe the technology is not yet mature and there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of the word “supremacy”.
Firstly, let’s understand the makeup and amazing features of quantum computers, and then discuss whether the use of the term “supremacy” is appropriate.
Moreover, we should also carefully consider how quantum computers will affect the emergence of real self-driving cars, which is the meaningful thing to do.
Decoding Quantum Computing
Today, the hardware architecture used by traditional computers is basically the same as that used in the field of computing since its inception.
The speed of the hardware has indeed become faster, smaller in size, and less expensive. Nevertheless, the basic design principles and operating methods have not changed much.
Normally, when referring to classical computing, you may hear someone refer to these types of hardware devices as Turing machines (named after Alan Turing, a pioneer in the field of mathematics and computing), or you might mutter under your breath to friends and strangers in everyday life and refer to these types of hardware devices as von Neumann architecture (named after physicist and mathematician John von Neumann).
Now that you have a basic understanding of this type of fundamental knowledge, it is time to introduce Einstein.
In the field of physics, there is a research area known as “quantum mechanics”. When viewing the universe and matter at the atomic and subatomic level, there seem to be many mysteries that are difficult to explain with ordinary physics theories. However, the related knowledge in the field of quantum mechanics can provide intriguing theories that can be used to explain the abnormal behavior that occurs at the particle and sub-particle level, and this is beyond doubt.When particles are distant from each other, they appear to have a certain correlation, but as of yet there is no clear theoretical basis to explain the reason for the correlation between discrete ions. Essentially, this is what people are familiar with as quantum entanglement.
Einstein was at the height of his research into quantum mechanics formulation, during which he sarcastically referred to quantum entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.” This statement made him significant and also began to vex him as to how to fully explain this peculiar imagination.
Therefore, you could quote Einstein to say that quantum entanglement is indeed like a ghost.
In any case, whether or not you believe in such competing theories, it appears that such phenomena still exist in nature. Thus, we can explore the principles behind them.
As for the realm of computing, some believe that you may be able to build bits and bytes and memory components using quantum methods, potentially greatly enhancing the storage capacity of computers.
Compared to traditional computers, quantum computers consist of a specialized computer that uses knowledge of quantum mechanics. Its basic information unit is the quantum bit, and its computational object is a quantum bit sequence. The quantum bit is somewhat similar to the traditional bit, but it rotates faster like it’s been given steroids. Essentially, the computational speed of quantum computers is much faster than that of traditional computers today.
Currently, the cost of building a quantum computer is extremely high, and the size is relatively large, requiring a large amount of cooling equipment. Currently, only a few scattered quantum bits have been implemented, so the current level is still far from realizing the full potential of such devices.
Of course, you cannot dismiss quantum computers because of their large size and weight. In the vacuum tube era, there were also people who said that traditional computers would always occupy entire rooms in the future. However, today’s smartphones can easily fit into the pockets of our clothes, and the computational power of smartphones is much stronger than that of earlier mainframes.
In the end, the volume of future quantum computers will become smaller, its functions will become more powerful, and its cost will be lower. This type of hypothesis is reasonable, but the premise is that if the target can be achieved, it may take many years, perhaps decades, to achieve it.
You may wonder, what functions can quantum computers achieve that traditional computers cannot?## Why do we bother to talk and care about quantum-related knowledge?
Well, theoretically, the computing speed of quantum computers is far superior to that of traditional computers. Our so-called speed means to the extreme.
Due to its fast computing speed, one of its application areas is encryption technology. In the digital world, we use encryption technology to provide privacy protection for text information and files stored on remote disk drives.
Most people believe that encryption (files) is unlikely to be cracked without a key.
Today, most encryption algorithms rely on keys. To break contemporary encryption technology requires enormous computational power, so it costs a huge amount of computing power and expensive price. In other words, it is almost unbreakable.
Even if we use the fastest traditional computer, it would take 10,000 years to break encrypted files. From a practical point of view, this means that encryption may be unbreakable, although in fact, if you are willing to wait for ten thousand years and the computer can continue to engage in the cracking work, it can be broken after ten thousand years.
If we use a quantum computer, it may only take a few months, or even a few minutes, to crack the encrypted file, depending on the encryption method used and the volume and function of the quantum computer.
This sounds very scary, which means that if someone is interested in encrypted files and uses a quantum computer to investigate the files, and waits for it to finish the calculation, they can use the cracked encrypted file after many days, thus seeing the previously concealed secret information.
Of course, everything has two sides. We can use encryption mechanisms with more powerful traditional computer functions, and we can also use quantum computers to create more difficult-to-crack encryption schemes.
Quantum computing is currently one of the hottest technology trend fields and will receive more publicity in the future.
At present, there are still a lot of open questions in the industry regarding quantum computers, such as: what are the types of problems that only quantum computers can solve and cannot be solved by other traditional computers? This means that in addition to computing speed, what types of problems are there that we have never solved or considered using traditional computers to solve but can be solved by quantum computers?
In addition, another controversial topic is whether there are problems that traditional computers may be able to solve but quantum computers may not be able to solve? Or is the actual performance of quantum computers in solving such problems worse than traditional computers?
This leads to the topic of quantum hegemony mentioned in our previous article.When you are in a room with various computer-savvy people, they will share different opinions. In discussing the operation and problem-solving ability of quantum computers, inevitably two camps will form: the quantum computing camp and the traditional computing camp. One camp claims that they will have a better method, while the other group will refute their views.
This is similar to the situation you encounter when choosing to support your favorite sports team or your preferred whisky brand.
Quantum computing proponents believe that someday in the future, signs may show that quantum computers will outperform traditional computers. When that day comes, the “hegemony” or “quantum dominance” of quantum computers will be demonstrated, and therefore the slogan “quantum dominance” gives quantum computers a notorious reputation (the previous “hegemony” is a derogatory term).
Google asserts that its recent research has achieved the goal of quantum dominance, using an experimental quantum computer to complete a task that would take 10,000 years using traditional computing. However, others do not agree, they claim that if a traditional computer was used to complete the trial task, it would only take 2-3 days.
For those firmly standing in the quantum computing camp, they urgently need to raise the banner of “quantum dominance.” This is not difficult to understand, but the so-called “dominance” is somewhat ambiguous in terms of its definition. Some people believe that this claim lacks definition (poorly defined) (the current controversy lies in which indicators should be used to measure). Some people claim that Google’s bold announcement seems a bit rushed.
In addition, if you are also concerned about the massive problems that have already been solved by traditional or classical computers, you will find that the quantum computers, which are still in the research and development stage, may not be able to solve these problems.
When the performance of quantum computers is far inferior to the computers used in daily life today, is it fair and reasonable to claim that quantum computers are fully leading and in a dominant position?
The title of “hegemony” (or “quantum dominance”) for quantum computers also has a sarcastic meaning. Perhaps focusing on the controversy surrounding hegemony is impolite, and some also think that the term “quantum dominance” is inappropriate.
Indeed, the use of the crown title of “hegemony” may be a means of promoting the development of quantum computers. In fact, such a title that can evoke a sense of collective honor (esprit de corps) may stimulate creative thinking and attract public attention. However, in the end, we hope that we will view (quantum) computers as a tool for us to further explore and pursue progress.
I am confident that I am working to correct the polarizing trend of this issue, but in the end, I will face resistance from the two major camps. In recent days, I have expected this result with sadness.Let’s focus on truly autonomous vehicles. Additionally, what impact will the advent of quantum computing have on autonomous vehicles?
Levels of Autonomous Vehicles
When referring to truly autonomous vehicles, the definition needs to be further clarified which is very important.
Truly autonomous vehicles are fully operated by vehicle-mounted AI technology and no human intervention is required during driving tasks. These driverless vehicles are defined as Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles by SAE, while vehicles requiring human driver assistance fall into Level 2 or Level 3 autonomous vehicles. These vehicles require drivers to jointly undertake driving tasks with the vehicle’s semi-autonomous driving system. Additionally, these vehicles typically integrate various additional devices, known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Currently, there is no truly Level 5 autonomous vehicle, and it is unknown whether such a vehicle can be created in the future or how long it might take to create one. Meanwhile, Level 4 autonomous vehicles conduct road testing activities on some very “narrow” and selected road sections in an attempt to achieve the corresponding autonomous driving level. However, the research itself has caused controversy (some people point out that when conducting autonomous driving road tests on highways and side roads, we are all experimental “guinea pigs” facing life and death risks).
From a quantum perspective, there is no essential difference between semi-autonomous driving vehicles, which require human drivers and traditional vehicles.
It is worth noting that despite some people posting videos showing themselves sleeping in the driver’s seat while riding in Level 2 or Level 3 autonomous vehicles, viewers should not be misled or believe that users can shift their attention away from driving tasks while riding in semi-autonomous driving vehicles.
Whether the automation level of the vehicle can reach Level 2 or Level 3, as a driver, you are responsible for the driving operation of such vehicles.
Autonomous Vehicles and Quantum Computing
For truly Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles, the role of quantum computing is just to lend a hand.
First of all, let’s set aside the problem of whether quantum computers can be shrunk to a small enough size in the short term, and whether their prices can become cheap enough. Can they be further adjusted in other aspects so that they can be integrated into autonomous vehicles as on-board processors?
I think that based on the current situation, there is no possibility of this.It is far from possible to implement quantum computers for vehicles in the short term, so don’t expect such a thing to happen.
So, is there any use of quantum computers for autonomous vehicles?
Of course not!
However, please remember that autonomous vehicles have Over-The-Air (OTA) electronic communication capabilities, which can download system upgrade packages from the cloud to upgrade the on-board AI system. At the same time, the system can upload the data collected by autonomous vehicles to the cloud.
Quantum computers may have a popular high-speed computing slot in the cloud to assist true autonomous vehicles.
This is not an unattainable fantasy, as there are now cloud-based quantum computing resources available for researchers and others to use online.
In fact, I have also done quantum computing programming through the cloud platform, which is indeed impactful, but it also makes it clear that we are trying to figure out what professional programming language and database structure should be used to match quantum computers.
One thing to be aware of is that today’s quantum computers are still in their early stages, which means that their error rates are high. Researchers are constantly exploring how to cope with, avoid, or reduce system error rates in the quantum bit environment, which is always the focus of research (this kind of problem is usually called the “quantum noise problem”).
Overall, cloud-based quantum computers (preferably not a simulating device) may be applied to autonomous vehicles in countless ways, providing them with assistance.
For example, the autonomous driving system in a vehicle will transmit information to the AI system by implementing data updates, and the system will make driving decisions based on the analyzed road data information. With machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) technology, the functionality of the AI system in the cloud will be strengthened. In addition, this type of AI system will also conduct testing based on simulated road data, and will be configured into unmanned driving vehicles as on-board AI systems when matured.
The computational workload that cloud ML/DL can achieve is quite large, which is equivalent to the computing power of piles and piles of classical computers. This means that it only takes a short time to create a new upgrade package for the on-board AI system of the vehicle. However, the cost of digesting such a huge amount of traditional computer computing power is also extremely high.
Imagine the application scene of a quantum computer.
Perhaps you could have access to a quantum computer on the cloud, and use it to participate in AI enhancement tasks. With the huge speed advantage of quantum computers (maybe), you may generate a revised version of AI, and soon configure the AI system into unmanned driving vehicles in the fleet.
Just think about it.Assuming there are situations or extreme cases in some road incidents where unmanned vehicles appear, and such situations have not been experienced by any of the previous automatic driving vehicles in the fleet, the data will be transmitted to the cloud for immediate analysis, then create an upgrade package and transmit it to the unmanned vehicles. After the upgrade is completed, based on the elements learned from other automatic driving vehicles in the fleet, the automatic driving level of the entire fleet can be quickly improved.
I do not recommend using quantum computers in some entirely new fields. What I want to emphasize is that we should try to apply the speed advantage of quantum computers to the field of software update and upgrade of unmanned vehicles.
If properly operated, it means that the functionality of unmanned vehicles of this kind will be improved, and passengers’ riding experience will be better. As unmanned vehicles are an enhanced version of automatic driving vehicles, it can be inferred that those who are fond of unmanned vehicles will also have a better sensory experience of such vehicles.
However, please do not interpret this mistake as a panacea for quantum computer programs.
Perhaps some people cannot resist the temptation, and may release some upgrade packages that are not adequately prepared and not yet applicable based on the super-high speed of quantum computers. If this is the case, it is very unfortunate.
I hope that manufacturers of automatic driving technology and those who use cloud technology (including quantum computer technology) can remain stable and use quantum computers as they would use traditional computers in daily life.
Conclusion
Another example of the use of cloud quantum computers is to use quantum computers for planning and arranging traffic flow and assume the responsibility of traffic management.
Some people believe that when unmanned vehicles dominate the road, they will be perfect and will alleviate traffic congestion through communication and coordination between vehicles.
In addition to being able to achieve “communication” between vehicles through V2V, V2I, and other means, automatic driving vehicles can also interact with the “master” traffic management system, which is trying to plan the thousands of vehicles on the road.
Due to the enormous calculation of the traffic management system, some are even “overload,” and the powerful computing power and speed of cloud quantum computers may provide corresponding assistance.
I know some of you may be curious about whether the computing speed of cloud quantum computers is fast enough to become the “driver” of automatic driving vehicles.
I don’t think so.
In a previous article I released, I mentioned the danger of using wireless networks as a driving method, and there are certain risks when the driver performs remote vehicle control. From the perspective of the safety of automatic driving vehicles, whether it is remote drivers or cloud quantum computers, this method will not yield good results.The AI system in a car may be able to communicate with a quantum computer in the cloud to provide additional opinions for driving, but one must keep in mind that there is a certain amount of data transmission delay when getting results from the cloud (as cloud connections are difficult to maintain, the problem of delay is always unresolved).
Quantum computers will become an important supplement for computing solutions.
After all, quantum computers are still in the early stages.
Today, you only have a familiarity with quantum knowledge (just familiar with the latest knowledge of quantum computing).
I encourage everyone who wants to contribute to the future development of computers to get involved in quantum computing-related work or to learn more about this technology.
This is just my small promise.
Be cautious when using the term “supremacy” and do not champion it by wearing T-shirts with “quantum supremacy” printed on them, unless you are also willing to wear a T-shirt with “classical supremacy” printed on it and do the same thing, which requires personal courage and enthusiasm for the technology.
Expecting world peace, thank you!
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This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.