Google's new quantum computer has processing power beyond the reach of the world's fastest supercomputers.
Google Announces "Quantum Supercomputer" Willow - Is Bitcoin Threatened? Photo: CNN
Willow Solved a Problem Older Than the Age of the Universe in Minutes
Google has just announced a major breakthrough in the field of quantum computing with the development of a new chip called Willow.
Introducing Willow, our new state-of-the-art quantum computing chip with a breakthrough that can reduce errors exponentially as we scale up using more qubits, cracking a 30-year challenge in the field. In benchmark tests, Willow solves a standard computation in <5 mins that would…
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) December 9, 2024
According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Willow has 105 qubits, capable of processing tasks in just a few minutes that the world's top supercomputers would need 10 quadrillion years to complete. However, the chip is prone to errors because it is sensitive to factors as small as subatomic particles from outer space.
One of the biggest challenges of quantum computers is that as the number of qubits increases, errors also increase, preventing the chip from outperforming classical computers. Scientists have been working on quantum error correction technology since the 1990s to overcome this problem. Google said in a new study published in the journal Nature that it has found a way to link qubits on its Willow chip to reduce the error rate as the number of qubits increases. What's more, the company can also correct errors in real time, a step that brings humanity closer to the promising era of quantum computing.
Back in 2019, Google claimed that its quantum chip could solve a problem in 5 minutes that would take a classical computer 10,000 years. However, this claim was disputed by IBM, which argued that the problem could be solved in just 2.5 days using different technical assumptions. In its latest announcement, Google has XEM the feedback into account and asserted that, even under ideal conditions, a classical computer would still need a billion years to achieve the same result as the Willow chip.
According to Anthony Megrant, chief architect of Google Quantum AI, qubit quality is the core factor to overcome the current limits of the technology.
To speed up development, Google built its own chip manufacturing facility, replacing the one at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The new facility allows them to rapidly test ideas and produce new chips in less time. The chips are cooled in cryostats to perform complex experiments. Google’s goal, Megrant said, is to create rapid learning cycles, moving technology from concept to production efficiently.
With this step, Google has crossed the “equilibrium” point between quantum computers and classical computers, paving the way for future practical applications such as medicine, battery chemistry, and artificial intelligence. This is an important milestone not only for Google but also for the entire quantum industry.
Willow is the "new threat" to Bitcoin?
Google's launch of the Willow quantum chip has many people worried: Will this technology break Bitcoin's security system, or even help Google mine the remaining Bitcoins on the network?
Currently, Bitcoin operates on the Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism, requiring computers to solve complex cryptographic problems to confirm transactions and create new Block . With superior speed, quantum supercomputers can significantly shorten the PoW solving time, giving an advantage to the mining process.
But the reality is not that simple. First, attacking or controlling the Bitcoin network requires a quantum computer with millions of stable and reliable qubits - a goal that even Google admits will take years to develop.
Second, the Bitcoin network has a built-in difficulty adjustment mechanism to ensure that Block times remain around 10 minutes. If a single entity, like Google, dominates mining, the network will automatically increase the difficulty, reducing the effectiveness of any single computing power.
In addition, blockchain developers are also actively researching and implementing “quantum-resistant” algorithms to protect the network against potential threats.
So the prospect of Google breaking the security system or mining all the remaining Bitcoins is very unlikely at the moment. However, this is also a wake-up call about the need to continue improving security technology to stay ahead of future challenges.
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