The Quantum Revolution
Knowing what quantum computers are is sure interesting, and since most experts are saying that (at least for now) we likely won’t each have a quantum computer in our home to use as we please like we do with current computers, we need to look at what quantum computers will help with. Some of the fields that are expecting it: Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, materials discovery, drug development, cleaner fertilization and many others.
Artificial Intelligence
For the past three years, AI has taken everyone by storm, completely changing technology for better or for worse, depending on your view.
The symbiotic relationship between AI and QC
The view on quantum computers and AI is generally that they will have a largely symbiotic relationship in the future, accelerating the development of one another. In fact, quantum computers have already been used by Google as explained in a blog post from 2021, where they compared AI that had learned on a quantum machine to one that was trained on a classical computer. The results of this experiment were that “quantum learning agents perform exponentially better than classical learning agents in a wide range of tasks” (Dargan, 2024).
There was another experiment done by IBM which ran a quantum-classical hybrid algorithm on a machine made by Rigetti computing. The experiment led to very similar results to the first one, researchers working on it claiming that this was a big step toward accelerating machine learning in comparison to classical computing (Gosset, 2024).
One interesting part of this conversation is how a neural network works very similarly to a human brain, meaning that by using qubits as points in the neural network and using entanglement, you can simulate a real brain to a much larger degree than before (Rao, 2024). If we also connect a computer like this to a brain organoid[1], it can lead to a variety of more diverse inputs, such as sight, sound and emotion, potentially redefining what it means to “think”.
[1] A small brain created from stem cells
How can this technology be useful
Uses for AI have already been long proven: ever since the release of ChatGPT in 2023 allowing for free access to this technology, we know what it can do. Combining this with quantum computers will improve the accuracy of already existing uses of AI, such as text generation, image generation, sound generation, etc. Just as we saw in the original release of ChatGPT, this development would have massive effects on our society, as people would be able to use it for things like helping them run their small businesses by automating things like security, monetary calculations and other tasks, or helping a person create a hyper-realistic image of Lebron James playing basketball with Jesus Christ, just for the fun of it. As with any new technology, however, there are people who would like to exploit it for money at other people’s expense. One example of this could be spreading misinformation, and more specifically the exploitation of older age groups, who are already struggling with determining what to believe on social media. In general, this will lead to a net positive effect on society, just like all other past technological developments, despite the very large potential to use it in a harmful way.
Material discovery and development
Another large section of quantum computing is the development of materials, as currently, developing materials mostly requires you physically test that material to determine its properties. This is because with a classical computer, simulation of particles requires lots of processing power and lots of time, to an absurd degree. While we can technically simulate something small like a hydrogen atom (albeit with a very large amount of processing power), even simulating something like a simple lithium atom is essentially impossible with a classical computer. A quantum computer, on the other hand, can simulate things much more efficiently, allowing for an accurate depiction of potential material candidates for things like batteries ( (Dargan, 2024)and (IonQ staff, 2025)).
Sustainable Catalysts and Fertilizers
Quantum computers can also help improve large industrial processes that we rely on but are currently harmful to the environment. A key example is the Haber-Bosch process, which is how we make ammonia for the fertilizer needed to grow food for the world's population. The problem is that this process uses a massive amount of energy—about 3% of all energy consumed globally each year—and is responsible for roughly 1% of the world's total carbon emissions (Gosset, 2024).
Nature, however, has a much more efficient method. Some bacteria can produce ammonia naturally without needing extreme heat or pressure. They do this using a special molecule that is too complex for even our best supercomputers to analyze. A quantum computer would be able to simulate this molecule, allowing us to finally understand how it works (Gosset, 2024). This could lead to a breakthrough in creating a new, much cleaner way to produce fertilizer. This same approach could be used in other areas, such as designing better catalysts for the chemical industry to help reduce pollution (Dargan, 2024).
Renewable Energy Solutions
Moving to a green economy requires better ways to generate and use clean energy. Quantum computing can speed up progress here, especially for improving solar power and making hydrogen fuel sustainable. Currently, the main method for producing hydrogen fuel involves using fossil fuels. A much cleaner option is electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, but this process is not yet efficient enough to be used on a large scale.
Quantum computers can help by simulating the electrolysis reaction at the atomic level. This would allow scientists to find better materials (known as catalysts) to make the process more efficient. This isn't just a theory; a company called IonQ has already simulated a water molecule using a quantum system, which is an important first step. In a similar way, quantum computers could help design new materials for solar panels that are far better at converting sunlight into electricity (Gosset, 2024).
Batteries
Batteries are a crucial part of this research, as they are made up of rare materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel, which not only are expensive to extract – taking up 40% of the cost of an EV (IonQ staff, 2025) – but also have very harmful effects on the environment. Quantum computers can massively help the development of long-sought-after breakthroughs such as solid-state technology or post-lithium batteries ( (IonQ staff, 2025), (University Of Sussex, 2025), and (Gosset, 2024)).
How can this technology be useful
Being able to do faster and better research into new materials will help us solve some of the world's biggest problems. Designing materials atom by atom will allow us to build a more sustainable future. For example, massive breakthroughs in areas like batteries can lead to huge steps being taken toward eco-friendly cars, phones, computers, and so many more technologies that we use on a daily basis. Beyond just batteries, this could also help us reduce pollution from farming by making cleaner fertilizers and find better ways to create renewable energy from hydrogen and solar power. By helping us fix these problems at the smallest possible level, quantum computing gives us a new and powerful tool to fight climate change and build a better world.
Drug Development and Medicine
One of the most promising and potentially life-altering applications of quantum computing lies in medicine and drug discovery. The core of developing new medicines involves understanding and simulating how molecules and proteins interact within the human body. For classical computers, this is a monumental task. The quantum nature of these interactions means that simulating even a relatively simple molecule, like penicillin, would require an astronomical number of classical bits—around 1086
—making it practically impossible. This computational barrier forces researchers to rely on approximations and slow, expensive real-world testing.
Quantum computers, however, are naturally suited for this work. Since they operate on the principles of quantum mechanics, they can simulate molecular interactions with far greater speed and precision than any supercomputer. This could dramatically accelerate the discovery of new drugs for devastating illnesses such as Alzheimer's, cancer, and heart disease (Gosset, 2024).
How can this technology be useful
The implications for healthcare are profound. With the ability to accurately model complex biological systems, we could enter an era of personalised medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual's specific genetic makeup (University Of Sussex, 2025). The process of protein folding, a key factor in many diseases, could be simulated to develop highly targeted drugs. This isn't just a distant dream; pharmaceutical companies like Roche, Biogen, and AstraZeneca are already partnering with quantum computing firms such as IBM and Microsoft to explore these possibilities, aiming to design new treatments at the atomic level ( (University Of Sussex, 2025) and (Gosset, 2024)). By overcoming the simulation bottleneck, quantum computing could revolutionise how we create medicines, making the process faster, cheaper, and vastly more effective.
Cybersecurity
While many applications of quantum computing promise creation and development, its impact on cybersecurity presents a dual-edged sword. On one hand, the immense processing power of a quantum computer poses an existential threat to our current digital security infrastructure. Modern encryption standards, which protect everything from bank accounts to government secrets, rely on mathematical problems that are incredibly difficult for classical computers to solve, such as factoring large numbers.
However, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could solve these problems with ease, rendering most current encryption methods obsolete ( (Amazon AWS, 2024), (Schneider & Smalley, 2024), (Microsoft Azure, 2025), (Gosset, 2024), and (University Of Sussex, 2025)). This creates a serious future risk, as sensitive data that is encrypted and stored today could be vulnerable to decryption by a quantum computer tomorrow.
How can this technology be useful
In response to this threat, the field of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has emerged (University Of Sussex, 2025). Researchers are actively developing new encryption algorithms that are resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers. In a proactive move, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been running a competition to identify and standardise these new quantum-resistant algorithms, preparing our digital infrastructure for the quantum era (Gosset, 2024). Therefore, while quantum computing creates a significant security challenge, it is also the catalyst driving the development of a new, more robust generation of cryptography that will keep our digital world secure in the long term.