Baidu Taking Steps to Merge Quantum Computing with AI

(Forbes) Baidu, China’s leading search engine and AI powerhouse, recently announced Paddle Quantum, a quantum machine learning development toolkit. This was the latest in a series of steps Baidu has taken to marry quantum computing with AI since establishing its Institute for Quantum Computing in 2018.
Dr. Runyao Duan, Director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, Baidu Research said, “People are starting to take quantum computing very seriously and are convinced by its potential. In particular, various technologies have been developed to build all the elements required by quantum computers and these are in the process of being glued together,” he adds.
When practical, business-ready quantum computers will arrive, Duan believes chemistry simulation will be their first key application.
Duan’s advice to technology and business executives is “to take action now.” First, they need to study and understand the basics of quantum computing. Then they should explore the potential impact of quantum computing to their core business. Finally, they should invest in creating “a small quantum computing group as part of their technology team, solely devoted to making the enterprise quantum-ready. The crucial job of this small group is to partner with other well-recognized leading quantum computing companies and access their quantum power by designing suitable interfaces,” says Duan.