USA Rare Earth announces AI, quantum computing partnership for optimised processing

Nasdaq-listed miner USA Rare Earth, quantum computing company Pasqal, as well as AI specialist Raven Systems have announced a strategic partnership to develop next-generation separation technology for the rare earth value chain.

Using quantum machine learning, the project aims to identify new separation molecules that bind more effectively to rare earths than existing alternatives, enabling smaller, lower-cost, less energy-intensive processing facilities.

The collaboration brings together US and French expertise in two strategically important sectors - critical minerals and quantum computing. Together, the companies aim to explore technologies that could help support a more secure, efficient and competitive Western rare earth supply chain.

The partnership brings together Riven’s self-driving minerals separation laboratory and Pasqal’s quantum computing power with USA Rare Earth’s rare earth processing expertise.

Under the planned project, Riven will conduct thousands of automated experiments and generate the training data needed to build machine learning models of extractant selectivity for rare earth elements.

Pasqal’s Neutral Atom quantum processing unit would then benchmark quantum machine learning models against classical computing-based models (each trained on data from the self-driving lab) to support USA Rare Earth in optimizing extractant selection.