Can quantum computing tame AI’s appetite for energy?

The US Department of Energy (DoE) is offering up to $215 million in funding to help domestic companies develop the world’s first reliable quantum computer. The race to develop quantum computing as a next-generation technology has intensified, with the technology emerging as a potential solution to the Pandora’s box of enormous energy demand unleashed by the artificial intelligence boom.

The Department of Energy’s Quantum Genesis Q competition is currently accepting proposals for ideas aimed at “deploying quantum computers with at least 100 logical qubits, capable of executing hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations, and scientific demonstration programs.”

Under Secretary of Energy for Science Darío Gil said the competition encourages commercial-sector participation through Quantum Genesis Q to “create an environment for collaboration and competition at the same time... and bring out the best of the competitive spirit,” as part of a broader goal to ensure that the United States establishes itself as a leader in the global quantum computing race.

In addition, the Department of Energy has launched a complementary program called the Quantum High-Performance Computing Validation and Verification Testbed Lab Call, which is seeking proposals from the US national laboratory network to “develop and implement the full suite of tools and expertise needed to validate the performance of fault-tolerant quantum computers.”