Humanity’s next revolution

In a previous article, I presented the exciting advances taking place in the field of artificial intelligence and how they will change the world we live in.

Artificial intelligence relates to software developments. Another fantastic advance that is occurring simultaneously in the field of computer hardware is that of quantum computing. When these two frontiers merge, humanity will experience a fourth revolution. The steam engine revolutionized transportation and manufacturing, laying the groundwork for the industrial age.

The Second Industrial Revolution was defined by remarkable innovations like electricity and the internal combustion engine, reshaping the industrial and urban landscape. The expansion of rail and telegraph networks connected vast distances, revolutionizing communication and bringing about a new era of global connectivity.

The Third Industrial Revolution brought in the digital age, triggered by the development of semiconductors. It led to te development of personal computers and mobile phones, transforming communication, entertainment, and work. We are now experiencing the Fourth Industrial Revolution through the advent of artificial intelligence that is enhancing human capabilities and transforming industries, healthcare, and various other aspects of daily life. This will merge with quantum computers to create a brave new world that will be stranger than our wildest imaginations.

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting and revolutionary developments in science and technology today. It promises to solve certain problems billions of times faster than classical computers can. To understand quantum computing, let's first look at classical computers – the computers we use every day.

Classical computers process information in binary, using bits that represent either a 0 or a 1. These bits are the basic units of information, and everything your computer does boils down to manipulating these bits through logic.

Quantum computing is different. It’s based on the principles of quantum mechanics, which is a branch of physics that studies the smallest particles in the universe, like atoms and electrons. Quantum computers use qubits (quantum bits) instead of classical bits. The key difference is that qubits can exist in multiple states at once, thanks to some unique quantum properties. These qubits can be both 0 and 1 at the same time due to a property called superposition. Imagine spinning a coin. This property allows quantum computers to process a vast amount of information simultaneously.

Therefore, the beauty of superposition is that a quantum computer can explore many solutions to a problem at once, whereas a classical computer would have to try each solution one after the other. Since qubits can exist in a superposition of multiple states, they are, in a sense, exploring many possible outcomes at once. This has led some scientists and theorists to suggest that quantum computers may be taking advantage of parallel universes (‘multiverse’) to perform calculations.

Now let us compare classical and quantum computing with a simple analogy. Imagine you’re trying to solve a maze. A classical computer would try every possible path through the maze one at a time. If it hits a dead end, it turns around and tries a different route. Eventually, it will find the right path, but it might take a long time. Now, imagine a quantum computer. Thanks to superposition, it can try multiple paths simultaneously. Instead of going down one path at a time, the quantum computer explores many different paths at once. It can also amplify the correct paths and ignore the dead ends. In this way, a quantum computer could find the correct path through the maze billions of times faster than a classical computer.

The field has many potential applications. Today’s online security systems, such as those that protect your credit card information, rely on complex math problems that are very difficult for classical computers to solve. These systems are based on the difficulty of factoring large numbers. However, quantum computers could solve these problems extremely quickly, making today’s encryption methods obsolete. In the field of drug development too, quantum computing combined with artificial intelligence can bring in revolutionary changes.

Molecules and chemical reactions are governed by quantum mechanics. Classical computers struggle to simulate complex molecules because the number of variables involved grows exponentially as the molecules get bigger. Quantum computers, on the other hand, are naturally suited to simulating molecular interactions. This could revolutionize drug discovery by allowing scientists to model new drugs much more accurately, potentially leading to cures for diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s.

Quantum computers could also improve machine learning algorithms, making AI more powerful and efficient in fields like speech recognition, medical diagnosis, and autonomous vehicles.

Many industries, from logistics to finance, deal with optimization problems – figuring out the best way to do something when there are a huge number of variables involved. For example, finding the most efficient route for delivery trucks, optimizing supply chains, or managing financial portfolios all involve optimization.

Quantum computers could solve these problems much faster than classical computers, which would save time and resources across various industries. From understanding the origin of the universe to predicting the behaviour of the stock exchange or finding cures for various diseases, quantum computing combined with artificial intelligence is poised to change the very fabric of human civilization.

Although quantum computing holds immense promise, building a practical quantum computer is extremely challenging. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining the stability of qubits. Qubits are extremely sensitive to their environment, and small disturbances, like a change in temperature or electromagnetic noise, can cause them to lose their quantum state – a phenomenon called decoherence.

Another challenge is that quantum computers are prone to errors because qubits are so delicate. These errors can accumulate and affect the final result of a calculation. Developing ways to correct these errors without disrupting the quantum computation is a major area of research.

Scaling up the number of qbits while keeping them stable is another major challenge. Quantum computers need to operate at extremely low temperatures, near absolute zero (-273 C), to prevent decoherence. Maintaining such cold environments is technologically complex and expensive, making quantum computers difficult to build and maintain.

While there are still many technical challenges to overcome, the field is advancing rapidly, and companies, universities, and governments around the world are investing in quantum research. In the coming decades, we will see quantum computers solving real-world problems that classical computers can’t handle, leading to breakthroughs in fields ranging from medicine to finance to artificial intelligence.

Pakistan must prepare itself for this Fourth Industrial Revolution where artificial intelligence combined with quantum computing is on the verge of changing life on this planet forever.

The writer is a former

federal minister, Unesco

science laureate and founding

chairperson of the Higher

Education Commission (HEC). He can be reached at: ibne_sina@hotmail.com