SoftBank and Quantinuum Partner to Advance Quantum AI

SoftBank and Quantinuum collaborate to integrate AI & quantum computing, unlocking innovations, solving complex challenges, and shaping next-gen technologies.

SoftBank Corp. and Quantinuum agreed to a wide-ranging partnership in quantum computing.

By combining their respective strengths, both companies will unlock innovative quantum computing solutions that will overcome the limitations of classical artificial intelligence (AI) and realize next-generation technologies.

This unique initiative coincides with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) in 2025, and it is expected to ignite new business opportunities through the dynamic fusion of AI and quantum computing.

The Necessity of Quantum Computing Beyond the Limits of AI

In this modern era, AI is delivering impressive results across various domains. However, it is widely recognized that there are still significant challenges that AI alone is struggling to overcome. Complex optimization problems, deciphering causal relationship analysis, and conducting high-precision simulations based on fundamental equations remain formidable obstacles for current AI technologies.

Moreover, the hybrid approach that combines central processing units (CPUs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), and Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) holds the potential to further extend AI’s capabilities. By leveraging the unique strengths of each type of processing unit, hybrid systems can execute more advanced and diverse computations, providing innovative solutions that surpass traditional limitations.

SoftBank and Quantinuum believe in the power of quantum computing and are committed to exploring its transformative potential.

Also Read: Explained: Variational Autoencoders

Current State and Challenges of Quantum Computing

Despite impressive growth in the quantum computing sector, several technical and business challenges need to be addressed to advance the state-of-the-art so that quantum computers are used to solve practical problems.

(1) Building a Business Model

• Initial Investment and Operational Costs: The substantial initial investment and operational costs required for developing and deploying quantum computers lack concrete cost recovery strategies, suppressing the drive for companies to develop and adopt the technology.
• Clarification of Revenue Models: The revenue-generating business models, including the methods of offering quantum computers and setting usage fees, have not yet been fully realized.

(2) Establishing Specific Use Cases

• Discovering Use Cases: There is a shortage of use cases demonstrating which fields quantum computers will be useful in. Understanding the market size and revenue models through clear examples, especially in areas such as quantum chemical calculations and machine learning, is necessary.
• Understanding the Market and Revenue Predictions: It is crucial to specifically identify the areas where computations can only be performed by quantum computers and are commercially viable, as well as to predict the timing and scale of these applications.

(3) Advancing Hardware and Software Technologies

• Limitations and Challenges of Hardware: The current hardware performance (number of qubits and operation precision) of quantum computers is inadequate for handling practical problems, and significant enhancements in performance are needed for practical use.
• Software Development and Error Mitigation: To enable practical computations, hybrid algorithms that combine traditional methods and advancements in error suppression, mitigation, and correction technologies are essential. Furthermore, developing technologies that mutually complement hardware and software is also indispensable.
• Timing for Service Provision: Making decisions based on a deep understanding of technology to provide services at optimal timing requires assessing the speed of technological advancements and market needs.

Also Read: Brains Behind the Bytes: NextTech Today’s 2024 Contributors

Key Activities

SoftBank and Quantinuum are committed to addressing these challenges together to advance the practical application of quantum computers.

(1)  Joint Market Research & Business Model Development for Quantum Data Center

• With a view toward realizing a “quantum data center” capable of performing advanced calculation processing by combining CPUs, GPUs, and quantum computers (QPUs), both companies will use the Japanese market as a foothold to conduct global market research in the Asia-Pacific region and other regions and explore specific business models based on that research.
• Both companies will jointly consider methods to reduce investment risks, such as revenue and cost-sharing.

(2)  Construction of Quantum Use-Case Timelines and Validation

• SoftBank will provide its business challenges as use cases.
• Both companies will clarify use cases in quantum chemistry and network analysis and construct a timeline showing when these use cases will be realized. The search for new optical switch materials for All-Optical Networks is anticipated in quantum chemistry. In contrast, in network analysis, the application of anomaly detection and fraud detection in SoftBank’s communication network is envisioned.
• Both companies will develop software technology that effectively uses limited hardware resources and explore methods for linking CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs.

Comments from each company

Ryuji Wakikawa, Head of Research Institute of Advanced Technology, SoftBank Corp., commented: “SoftBank believes in the potential of quantum computers and has been testing and evaluating various internal issues using quantum computers and has started to obtain certain results. However, as a telecommunications operator, many challenges remain regarding how to provide quantum computing services in Japan. Through our collaboration with Quantinuum, which possesses the world’s highest-performance quantum computer hardware, we aim to be the first to identify problems that can only be solved by quantum computers and look forward to significantly accelerating the practical application of quantum computing.”

Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO of Quantinuum, commented: “Our partnership with SoftBank represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of quantum computing. By combining our strengths, we are poised to unlock innovative solutions that will not only enhance the capabilities of AI but also tackle challenges that have long been beyond reach. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a future where quantum technologies drive transformative advancements across multiple industries.”

Also Read: AI: Designing Workspaces for the Future

By integrating quantum computing with AI, this initiative is expected to contribute to problem-solving in diverse fields such as healthcare, finance, logistics, and energy. This collaboration addresses unsolved challenges, creates new market opportunities, and fosters technological innovation across society.