Video Credit- Beyond Discovery, YouTube
Quantum computing has been around and in development since the 1980s. Companies including Bell Labs, IBM and Google have been working on algorithms and platforms to enable quantum computing, and recent developments add a level of risk to humans if artifical intelligence (AI) is given free reign to use these tools.
IBM came out with a platform that makes quantum computing more accessible to businesses. The platform uses "qubits" that are atoms or ions that can perform faster than computers currently in use. In essence, quantum computers use principles including quantum entanglement and superposition to outperform conventional systems and that could pose a risk to humans.
Quantum computers can easily outperform conventional computers. Quantum computers use "qubits" that can exist in both 0 and 1 positions utilizing what is called "superposition", allowing them to conduct an enormous volume of calculations. Conventional computers use 0 and 1, and can take long periods of time to perform to the level of quantum computers.
Could artifical intelligence programs optimize their processing using quantum computers? Michio Kaku has expressed his concern, and AI developers have also called for a production pause to assess the risk. Given that quantum computers can produce results that take conventional computers thousands of years to perform, there is an added risk of escapement. A major risk is encryption cracking. Current systems could be hacked and cracked by AI thieves, and this is a risk. AI could also use quantum computers to create deepfakes and financially manipulate and control the economy.
It is clear that more time must pass before AI are given widescale access to quantum computers. We need computer and regulatory oversight and controls to ensure the risks to humans are reduced before full-scale experiments can be undertaken.