Quantum computers have the potential to be significantly more powerful than classical computers, making their potential applications immense in the worlds of cryptography, machine learning, and AI more broadly. These machines use encoded quantum bits—qubits—to carry more information and complete processes faster than traditional bits can in classical computing. Quantum computers are not just a bit more efficient than everyday computers, either—in 2023 Google parent Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) developed a quantum computer capable of completing in seconds what a preexisting supercomputer would only be able to accomplish in a whopping 47 years.
Unsurprisingly, there is a huge race ongoing among tech companies aiming to produce quantum computers and related technologies that are practical and useful in real-world applications. Besides Google, other tech titans like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) have made major efforts in this space.
