The race to achieve “quantum advantage” is on. For many business leaders, quantum still feels mysterious full of potential but not yet fully understood. Still, the desire to be early is driving major investment. According to a recent SAS survey, 3 in 5 executives are already exploring or actively investing in quantum AI.
The appeal? Industries where speed, scale, and precision matter most finance, healthcare, and even government—are exploring use cases like next-gen risk modeling, precision diagnostics, and real-time disaster response.
To unpack the hype and reality, Amy Stout, Head of Quantum Product Strategy, and Bill Wisotsky, Principal Quantum Systems Architect at SAS, explain what quantum AI really means, the timeline to adoption, and why it matters.
What is Quantum AI?
Amy Stout: Quantum AI is the blend of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Unlike classical computers, which use bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits, which can be 0, 1, or both at the same time. That flexibility makes them powerful for certain types of problems.
Quantum AI is especially promising in optimization, machine learning, and molecular modeling—with applications across finance, manufacturing, life sciences, and beyond.
What is the ‘Quantum Advantage’?
Bill Wisotsky: Quantum advantage is often framed as speed: solving problems in hours that would take classical computers millennia. But that’s only part of the story.
In practice, advantage could mean:
- Encoding data in richer, higher-dimensional ways than classical AI allows.
- Training models with less data.
- Reducing energy consumption.
So the true quantum advantage isn’t one-dimensional, it’s about tangible business benefits, not just speed.
Are We at a Turning Point?
Amy Stout: It’s often joked that quantum is “three to five years away every year.” The truth is, we’re not there yet. Hardware still needs to mature before quantum AI delivers consistent, real-world impact.
But businesses aren’t waiting. Early movers are investing now to gain expertise, IP, and a competitive edge when the technology matures. Based on recent progress and vendor roadmaps, I believe we’ll see quantum computers solve “low-hanging fruit” problems relatively soon opening the door to more complex breakthroughs.
Why Should People Care?
Bill Wisotsky: Because quantum could change the world.
Two areas stand out:
- AI – tapping into quantum physics to build smarter, faster models.
- Medicine – accelerating drug discovery and modeling complex biological processes in ways that were impossible before.
For everyday users, the shift may be invisible—just as most people don’t know whether their apps run on CPUs, GPUs, or NPUs. Quantum will simply become another accelerator powering tomorrow’s technology.
