(Bloomberg) -- With the promise of unimaginable computing power, a fierce worldwide race for quantum supremacy between the US and China is accelerating. Who will harness this mind-bending new force, and where will they point it?
On this episode of The Future with Hannah Fry, Fry explores the inner workings of IBM’s new Quantum System Two, one of the most powerful new computers in the world. She meets Olivia Lanes, IBM’s global lead for quantum learning, and IBM Head of Research Dario Gil, who reveal the promise and perils of a technology that could theoretically reveal all internet communications everywhere.
Fry explains how quantum computers are different from standard computers. Rather than the traditional “bits” that are either on or off, the “qubits” in quantum computers can be both on and off, which allows them to perform calculations at an immensely faster speed.
Gil explains how billions of dollars are being devoted to quantum technology and why IBM is not cooperating with China in its development, given the nation’s strategic rivalry with the US. But China is spending more than anyone else, and may be ahead in the race.
See all episodes of The Future with Hannah Fry here.See the latest videos from Bloomberg Originals here.
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