A SAS global survey of 500 business leaders across industries found that interest in quantum is very high, with more than 60% of respondents indicating they are actively investing or exploring opportunities in quantum AI.
Quantum computing and related technologies like quantum AI are regarded as the next big wave after AI.
Yet these business leaders also cited crucial barriers to adoption of quantum AI. Among their top concerns were high cost (38%), lack of understanding or knowledge (35%), and uncertainty around practical, real-world uses (31%). The survey results indicate that while interest in quantum AI is on the rise, organizations need a clear roadmap and guide to better leverage this technology.
That’s where SAS, a leader in data and AI, can help. Through pilot projects with customers, quantum AI research and work with leaders in quantum computing, SAS aims to provide guidance to businesses on applying quantum technologies in their organizations.
SAS seeks to make quantum understandable and approachable to a broad audience so they can get to value faster without having to understand the complex quantum market or the physics behind the technology.
“For decades SAS has helped organizations across a host of industries find better answers faster and improve business decisions through data and AI. With the emergence of quantum technologies, companies can analyze more data than ever and achieve amazingly fast answers to very complex questions involving myriad variables,” said Bill Wisotsky, Principal Quantum Architect at SAS. “Our goal is to make quantum research simple and intuitive for our customers and help them apply it to their business.”
SAS is working with quantum computing companies such as D-Wave, IBM and QuEra Computing to accelerate the development and deployment of quantum AI. In addition, SAS is experimenting with integrating quantum AI components into its own technologies, such as SAS Viya Workbench.
The survey, conducted in five countries, found that more than 70% of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with the concept of quantum AI and saw the most potential for quantum AI in business functions related to data analytics and machine learning (48%), research and development (41%), cybersecurity (35%), supply chain and logistics (31%), finance and risk management (26%), and marketing (20%).
In addition to the barriers noted above, a lack of trained personnel (31%) and a lack of clear regulatory guidelines (26%) were also cited as major challenges.
