Will Quantum Computing be Disruptive?

In #BigIdeas2016 I explored several topics I felt would be ones to watch in 2016. But many of the truly disruptive convergence that takes place is more likely in the 2020s. That is, a degree of technological change and pace of change, that even Millennials will find unexpected, surprising and memorable. 

For as time goes on, it's now Millennials who are pushing innovation forwards, and whose consumer expectations are driving many markets forwards. For the development of augmented reality, 3D Printing and truly disruptive FinTech and EduTech, it's really iGen (Gen Z) will will usher in significant strides in these directions. 

But why is Quantum computing never talked about? There is nothing controversial about quantum computing, it's coming and maybe sooner than we think. Consider that D Wave systems, one of the key players in the early industry, was founded back in 1999 in Western Canada. But then again, how many quantum computer companies do you know of? 

So what's going on? Why the secrecy, why the seeming lack of debate of how this will impact the evolution of AI? It's all as clear as the blue light of the future for amateur futurists the world over. 

Consider this: 

• It's inevitable, computing goes sub-atomic in miniaturization. 
• It's no longer binary, so for parallel processing the sky is the limit! 
• This is obviously, the spring board self-learning AI needs in the 203os to reach consciousness. 
• If Google's test on D-Wave systems is 100 million times faster, should we be cheering or scared?
• As iGen matures into positions of leadership, they will have quantum AI leadership tools. Maybe a 80/20 split in terms of AI/to human impact on major decision making. iGen therefore, could be called or qualified as "Quantemmials" compare that with (Millennials).
•  The pop-lore on "disruption" that is trending in 2015, is actually just the world preparing for a world where innovation best practices has to be embedded into everything a bit like how gamification layers, seamless omnichannel design, and Hx levels of interfaces are tested and perfected before sales. 

Post Disruption Era

A post disruption era is one which less and less human beings alive are actually able to "keep up" with the pace of technological change, until the gap between self-regulating AI and human beings becomes a paradigm shift, where a new species is born. I personally consider this inevitable and obvious much like some futurists consider the singularity, like visiting an old friend tomorrow. 

Quantum computing is a great example of something we know is on the horizon and may very well be used already by (military, NSA type government, and top secret agencies) but for the majority of the public, may as well be as arcane as magic.  So put your sci-fi thinking caps on and realistically try to project yourself into what exponential technological acceleration actually looks like! 

Consider this, once upon a time a genius like Ray Kurzweil was considered an oddity. In 2030, there will be literally thousands of people, if not millions who base their livelihood on inventing, predicting and charting the future. How many transhumanists (you can count me among these) did his books and life-work incubate? In the future, there will be entire caste systems, groups, cults dedicated to different sub-cultures of these disruptive technologies. Just like how now you have groups of amateur "hackers" who band together. If Cyberwarfare is real in 2015, what will be happening in digital life in 2020?

The future is not stagnant, as more variables and complexity emerges, it becomes beyond our human ability to understand. When Cisco or some other company makes a profit-based statement on how many sensors or how much internet traffic there will be in the next few years, it's society signaling the exponential growth curve. There is a point in this, where it accelerates too fast and off the observable and identifiable realm in terms of human observation. Many of you reading this will be alive when this occurs. 

Quantum Computing 

• Encrypting will be irrelevant, data will be open-source. 
• Google has been looking into next-gen D-Wave systems for quite some time. 
• Apps developed for Quantum computing, will put our apps out of business. All this from a startup in Canada? (and you said startups were not disruptive?)
• Hybrid Quantum computers, are already being funded by the C.I.A and Amazon's head. So expect a profitable transition to quantum computing, because what slows down innovation, is actually milking the cow of capitalism. (something that in the future may not exist). 
• Whether you are Alphabet, IBM, Amazon or Facebook, this stuff is what will make post deep learning machine learning, actually intelligent. It's intuitive.
• What makes quantum computing mythical (controversial is an aburd term to use) is the fact university professors in physics often (like having another faith) don't believe such a thing can actually work. So the academic pundits can't even agree, what's new. 
• Some scientists and entrepreneurs are actually visibly scared by the possibility of these developments. But the majority of human beings, simply are skeptical via the subjective bias of their ignorance and a pop-culture where we are being conditioned to become desensitized to the future shock, of developments that behind the scenes are certainly (10-20 years ahead) of what the general public is given access to. 

I will stop here to open up this topic to debate as it's to me, one of the key points of this #BigIdeas2016, to actually have intelligent comments and dialogue on these issues. To reflect as a society, and to whatever extent our short-term collective intelligence can manage to to fathom about a world that in our lifetimes will see great transformations. 

QUAIL is alive. quail is real. The future does not begin with our story, it begins with their story..

Quail is quantum AI lab.