Quantum is the future say enterprise execs

Those who fail to adopt quantum computing are in danger of falling behind, according to 75 percent of enterprise executives in a new survey.

The study, carried out by Wakefield Research for Zapata Computing, surveyed 300 leaders at large enterprises and finds that 69 percent either have adopted or plan to adopt quantum computing the near future.

In the US 71 percent of respondents are most interested in using quantum computing to address machine learning and data analytics problems. Machine learning is the most likely use case to deliver near-term value for the enterprise, as areas where classical ML struggles -- such as generative models in unsupervised and semi-supervised learning for augmenting datasets in predictive models -- are better suited to quantum devices.

Respondents see a business case for quantum, with 41 percent expecting to achieve a competitive advantage within the next two years, while the top 12 percent of adopters expect to get some competitive advantage within a year -- or have already.

"Today, more organizations are realizing that quantum computing is the next frontier in their data analytics capabilities, and if they don't want to lag behind, they need to start building the infrastructure, applications, and workforce for quantum computing today," says Christopher Savoie, CEO of Zapata. "We're already seeing how the leaders in quantum adoption are separating themselves from the rest of the pack. They are starting to build solutions that strategically leverage today's quantum devices within mostly classical applications. Those that are the furthest ahead aren't just investing in quantum to avoid losing -- they're playing to win."

Quantum adoption is highest in the transport sector, with 63 percent of respondents in this industry saying they are in the early stages of quantum adoption

However, the complexity of quantum means 96 percent of respondents agree that they couldn't successfully adopt quantum computing without the help of a trusted vendor. But 73 percent of respondents are concerned this may lead to getting locked-in. 49 percent of respondents think that the biggest hurdle to adoption is the complexity of integrating quantum computing with their existing IT stack.

You can get the full report on the Zapata website.

Photo Credit: The World in HDR / Shutterstock.com