IBM's Quantum Leap: The Road to a Practical Quantum Computer by 2029

IBM has announced its ambitious plan to develop a practical quantum computer by 2029. The tech giant laid out detailed steps that include building the 'Starling' quantum computer with approximately 200 logical qubits in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Current quantum computers, constrained by the necessity to dedicate significant computing power to error correction, are not yet outperforming classical systems. However, IBM, along with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, is tackling this challenge by introducing a novel algorithm to reduce errors, aligning scientific theory with practical chip-building capabilities.

IBM's Vice President Jay Gambetta highlighted that the company shifted its focus in 2019, opting for a practical chip-focused approach to error correction. This shift has set the stage for the development of successive quantum systems, leading to their ultimate goal of creating more efficient quantum computers.

(With inputs from agencies.)