The Future of Computing: IBM and AMD’s Quantum-Centric Alliance

$IBM(IBM.US) IBM and $AMD(AMD.US) AMD have announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop next-generation computing architectures that combine quantum computing with high-performance computing (HPC), referred to as "quantum-centric supercomputing." The collaboration aims to create scalable, open-source platforms that leverage IBM’s expertise in quantum hardware and software, alongside AMD’s leadership in HPC and AI acceleration technologies, to redefine the future of computing.

Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, highlighted the potential of quantum computing, stating, “Quantum computing will simulate the natural world and represent information in an entirely new way. By exploring how quantum computers from IBM and the advanced high-performance compute technologies of AMD can work together, we will build a powerful hybrid model that pushes past the limits of traditional computing.”

Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, emphasized the importance of HPC, saying, “High-performance computing is the backbone of solving the world’s most pressing challenges. Partnering with IBM to explore the convergence of HPC and quantum technologies presents incredible opportunities to accelerate innovation and discovery.”

According to a joint statement from the companies, quantum-centric supercomputing will allow quantum computers to work seamlessly with advanced HPC and AI infrastructures, which are typically powered by CPUs, GPUs, and other specialized computing engines.

The partnership announcement boosted the stock prices of IBM and AMD, with the two companies closing up 1.34% and 2% respectively on the day. Their year-to-date gains are even more impressive, reaching 10% and 37%.

While quantum computing has seen significant breakthroughs in recent years, practical applications remain years away. $NVIDIA(NVDA.US) NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang remarked earlier this year that it could take more than 15 years before the world sees “truly useful” quantum computers. However, he has since adopted a more optimistic outlook on the technology’s future.