Michio Kaku: The Future of Quantum Computing | Big Think

The Future of Quantum Computing
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Today's robots are less intelligent than cockroaches, but advances in quantum computing—transferring information using atoms rather than silicon—could revolutionize the field of AI.
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MICHIO KAKU:

Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study as well as New York University (NYU).
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TRANSCRIPT:

Question: Will quantum computing make self-aware AI more likely? (Submitted by Antonio Amorelli)

Michio Kaku: Antonio, quantum computers is the wildcard. It could be a game changer. It could change the entire landscape of artificial intelligence. Let me explain. At the present time, our most advanced robots, some of which are built in Japan and also at MIT have the collective intelligence and wisdom of a cockroach; a mentally challenged cockroach; a lobotomized, mentally challenged cockroach. These cockroaches take about six hours to walk across the room. They enter a room. They see lines, circles, squares, triangles, but they don’t know the fact that they’re looking at chairs, desks, tables, people, lamps. They see better than us. They don’t know what they are seeing. Also they hear better than us, but they don’t understand what they are hearing. So we need a new architecture and then, in 10 years, silicon power may run its course and the silicon revolution may actually collapse. We’re used to the fact that computers double in power every 18 months. That can’t go on forever. Moore’s Law, which is the foundation of modern society, may eventually collapse in 10, 15 years, so we physicists are looking for a replacement. A replacement, molecular computers, atomic computers, optical computers and quantum computers.

Quantum computers compute on atoms, not silicon. They are as small as you can get in terms of information storage—you can’t get smaller than an individual electron—and they work by looking at the spin, at the orientation of electrons. If I put an electron in a magnetic field, it can spin up or it can spin down. That would be a one and that would be a zero. But in quantum mechanics it could also be in between zero and one, so a bit one, a bit zero could become a Q bit, anything between zero and one. Now, to be fair, the world’s record for a quantum computer calculation is: three times five is fifteen. Now you probably already knew that: three times five is fifteen. But remember that calculation was done on five atoms, so here is a homework assignment for you. Take five atoms and make a computation three times five is fifteen and then you begin to realize how difficult it is to make quantum computers. The problem is interference. Cosmic rays, a rumbling truck outside your door, small tremors in the earth, they create vibrations sufficient to destroy the spin of the electron. And that is the problem. That is the reason why we don’t have quantum computers. And remember if you can solve this problem, if you can create a quantum computer that computes on individual atoms and electrons you would be heralded as the next Thomas Edison.

Recorded September 29, 2010
Interviewed by Paul Hoffman

[loris-]

I love how this video is 10 years old and all the comments are at least 7 years old and not full of: „Whos here in 2021?“ or „thanks algorithm for bringing us here.“

[PaulvonAwesome]

Prof. Kaku. I like the way you try and inspire all us youtube viewers to delve into physics and attempt to solve some of the problems existing in the field. It will be an interesting social experiment to see the long term effects of programs like yours on our society.

[svenkurrle]

I would be interested in how much of a game-changer Michio thinks D-Waves adiabatic quantum computer is. Especially because it is modeled after a neural net and has its own little "Moore's Law".

[viktorjanssen]

An updated Version of this Video would be awesome because 7 Years have passed and a LOT has changed in Quantum Computing.

[Xomsabre]

Con't
When we move on to a new technology, that technology is likely to follow the same curve ICs do in Moore's Law. To quote Ray Kurzweil, "It is important to note that Moore's Law of Integrated Circuits was not the first, but the fifth paradigm to provide accelerating price-performance." Going as far back as 1900, electromechanical, relay, and vacuum tube computers, and transistors followed a trend similar to Moore's Law. The next generation of computing likely will as well.

[calculactcal]

The future is closer than it looks it seems

[paulmoua]

really. I can't wait to see the quantum computer, which it would be awesome.

[JoeOG]

Second, servers allow maybe one or two password requests per second. Most servers will prevent any password requests once too many invalid requests have been made. It might tell you to wait 30 seconds. Then if you keep failing 5 minutes 2 hours 12 hours etc. and these events are logged and appear extremely suspicious.

This makes password-cracking against a server a non-issue. to crack an encrypted file locally however, that's something a quantum computer might excel at doing quickly.

[StevePlaysBanjo]

Answer is to use the same solution found in nature: run the calculation many times over and trust probability. Then again I think spontaneous quantum tunneling is what killed Spinal Tap's drummers...

[JoeOG]

Yes, theoretically a quantum computer would be able to brute force a password in fewer operations, however your question is not entirely relevant.

First of all, the quantum processor would be limited by the speed at which the server will responded to it when it tries to guess the password. If the server can only respond to this request 10 times per second, then my gameboy would be just as fast at cracking the password.

[weetoable]

the tension before he lays the word "cockroach!" CLASSS

[az]

I would like to start using these things in my essay for university, could I please have some references

[FalloutNewVegaseva]

Quite agreed. I think Kaku was referencing Edison's fame, however, and not his actual level of success. Plus, Tesla wanted to leave the world a better place when he left, and I don't think the fame really mattered much to him. The world is a better place because of him, I will say.

[Wesleyclothier]

considering that the primary concern is stability due to external disruptions via vibrations and other mentioned contributors it only seems logical to continue the research in a "safe" and secluded environment like space(since vibrations must travel through a medium which is non existent, to my knowledge, in space. We should refit satellites to store quantum computing hardware, considering that the stored information would have to be beamed down to the planet anyways. i know very little on this subject though, the idea is purely hypothetical. 

[MrOhWhatTheHeck]

screw Edisson! I'd want to be known as the next Nikola Tesla.

[KabzieMusic]

Isn't NASA's D-Wave a quantum computer?

[conelrad]

gotta make an energy concealing case i guess

[IJustLoveStories]

good thing there's a video next to it titled "How to program a quantum computer". I am só gonna win this thing!

[mr]

Umm...Well...Maybe it's easier than it seems. why not have the SC (supercomputer) function in a near 0 energy state? Or even an absolute 0 state when we find out how to do so. Like in a chamber that is super-cooled? Just a thought, I don't have all the math behind it but it seems plausible

[SOUVLAKOS]

I have a suggestion for building a fully functional quantum computer..
1)Become a type 1 civilisation
2)Become a type 2 civilisation
3)Become a type 3 civilisation
4)Travel to a space void
5)Build a space station
6)Construct the quantum computer
7)Plug it to a source of energy
8)Turn it on
9)???
10)Profit