During a STEAM Day for middle schoolers in 2016, the organising teacher introduced the topic of quantum computing to the group—and to me who was loitering at the back—with an unusual spokesperson, the then Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
For those unable to watch the video: quantum computing is the next evolution of computing. While traditional computers operate with bits (binary units of information that are either 0 or 1), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously due to the phenomena of superposition and entanglement. This enables quantum machines to be exponentially more powerful than classical computers for certain types of problems, such as cryptography, materials science, climate modelling, and drug discovery.
As quantum hardware matures, it is expected to complement classical systems, unlocking capabilities that were previously out of reach—even for the most powerful supercomputers. The implications for education, both in terms of what is taught and how learning systems operate, are far-reaching.
Why raise this now?
CeADAR (Ireland’s Centre for AI) has started work on the establishment of a national edge AI and quantum computing testbed, aiming to enable Ireland to develop and deploy advanced platforms and services. Equal 1, a CeADAR partner, announced last month that it had built Bell-1 – Ireland’s first quantum computer – using a silicon-based quantum server that eliminates the cost and complexity barriers to quantum computing adoption.
Last year, Google’s Willow (a quantum computer chip) demonstrated that there is a promising pathway to scaling up to larger and more powerful computers. It ran a benchmark test in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (a million raised to the seventh power) years. However, earlier this year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that practical quantum computing is still 15 to 30 years away.
It’s like the propeller age of aircraft being superseded by the jet age. This will give the current AI revolution a major shot in the arm. The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 caught many in education off guard, and quantum computing could be just one killer app away from becoming mainstream.
These advances pose big questions for education. Not only might AI tutors, grading systems, or learning platforms become more sophisticated, but the very nature of interaction between humans and machines could also fundamentally change. We tend to think of computing in education on a device-by-device basis, where schools or parents pay for individual devices running their own operating systems, connected to the internet.
But imagine a national quantum supercomputer for education—a kind of mainframe connected to every student, assessing all interactions, identifying problems, providing support to teachers, and correcting the Leaving Cert instantaneously for all students… aagghhh… I think I need to lie down. Our present generation of teachers might miss out on this game changer but I very much doubt the following generation will.
As I’ve delved into this topic over the years, more and more resources have become available for educators.
- Google launched a quantum computing course for policymakers, in collaboration with Apolitical. Quantum Computing: Understanding the Technology and its Implications features a diverse range of experts covering key issues in quantum computing development.
- Microsoft offers an Azure Quantum course on Microsoft Learn.
- IBM, which has a significant presence in this area, provides a basic course on quantum computing as well as access to open-source quantum computing resources.
Remember—you read it on the Teachnet blog first!