Google announces quantum computing chip breakthrough
Willow processor completes statistical tasks that are beyond the reach of the world’s fastest supercomputers
Google on Monday showed off a new quantum computing chip that it said was a breakthrough that could bring practical quantum computing closer to reality.
A custom chip called “Willow” does in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete, according to Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven.
“Written out, there is a 1 with 25 zeros,” Neven said of the time span while briefing journalists. “A mind-boggling number.”
“We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design and more,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai on X.
A quantum computer that can tackle these challenges is still years away, but Willow marks a significant step in that direction, according to Neven and members of his team.