AI Is Already Speeding Up Discoveries In Chemistry And Physics, But Satya Nadella Says The Real Breakthrough Will Come When We Add Quantum Computing To The Mix

Microsoft Corp. MSFT CEO Satya Nadella believes that while AI is already accelerating scientific breakthroughs, the true game-changer will be when quantum computing is integrated into the mix.

What Happened: During a fireside chat with Gary Tan at Y Combinator's AI Startup School that was posted on YouTube on Wednesday, Nadella shared his vision for the future of AI, quantum computing and supercomputing.

He explained that AI, along with high-performance computing (HPC), has already made significant strides in fields like chemistry, physics, and material science. However, he believes that quantum computing will take these advancements to the next level.

"If you want to understand the language of nature, which is simulation, I think the best way to do it is through a quantum computer because, after all, physics and nature are quantum," Nadella said. "AI is … an emulator of that simulator."

"What we are seeing is pretty good advances in using basically HPC+AI as a way to accelerate advances in Chemistry, in Physics, in Material Science and so quantum would be the next step in it. But we’re very excited about what AI+quantum and HPC in a loop can do," he added.

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Why It's Important: In February earlier this year, Microsoft debuted its first quantum chip, Majorana 1, powered by a breakthrough Topological Core architecture designed to support quantum computers capable of solving complex, real-world problems within a few years.

At the heart of this innovation is the topoconductor—a custom-built material that enables the creation and control of Majorana particles, which in turn produce more stable, scalable qubits, the foundational units of quantum computing.

Microsoft said this approach could ultimately pack one million qubits onto a chip small enough to fit in a hand, unlocking applications like breaking down microplastics and creating self-healing materials.

This announcement came just months after Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google introduced its Willow quantum chip.

Previously, Nvidia Corp. NVDA CEO Jensen Huang said quantum computers are nearing the point where they can solve real-world problems beyond the reach of traditional computers.

Speaking at the GTC Paris developer conference, Huang reversed his earlier cautious stance, calling this "an inflection point" for the technology and predicting meaningful applications within a few years.

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