As much as quantum computers have improved, in some situations they do not yet take the reins of ordinary computers. However, IBM could make them more practical. The technological pioneer has found a way to combine a new program execution environment, Qiskit, with a balance between ‘classic’ and quantum computers to deliver a faster pace for tasks that depend on the execution of iterative circuits. Calculations that now take months will only take hours, IBM said.
Qiskit in itself allows more circuits to run at a much faster rate, and can store quantum programs so that other users can run them. However, it also loads programs onto conventional hardware that sit next to the quantum machines. Before you ask, this is not really a scam – the move is meant to reduce the delay between the user’s computer and the quantum chip.
IBM expects to release Qiskit sometime in 2021. The roadmap also has quantum systems that address a wider range of circuits, and therefore a wider range of computer challenges, by 2022. New control systems and libraries by 2023 will help IBM achieve its goal of running systems. with 1,000 or more kwbits, which takes the business closer to full quantum dominance where technology can handle any computer task.
The company quickly acknowledged that there is a long way to go. It compares current quantum technology to the earliest computers – that is, they required a lot of manual programming and took centuries to complete workloads that now seem trivial. Ideally, Qiskit and enhanced hardware would lead to a day when anyone could use quantum computers, even through a large mainframe.