Smart Talks with IBM Unlocking Our Quantum Future
Nov 18, 2025
Jay Gambetta, IBM's Director of Research and a quantum computing trailblazer, discusses the future of quantum technology with Malcolm Gladwell. They delve into IBM's mission to scale quantum computing, groundbreaking experiments in chemistry and finance, and the challenges of building quantum hardware. Jay shares insights on the journey towards fault tolerance by 2029, the impact of quantum in practical applications, and how industries can prepare for this revolutionary shift. His perspectives equate this paradigm shift to the adoption of zero in mathematics.
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The Chandelier And Continuous Upgrades
- Quantum processors are small but housed in large cryostats full of filters and coax cables.
- IBM upgrades processors and electronics every ~six months to scale qubit counts and reduce energy use.
Why IBM Leads In Quantum
- IBM has deep roots in quantum information science dating back decades.
- Their long-term culture of building hardware makes them well suited to scale quantum systems.
Roadmap: Quantum Supremacy To Fault Tolerance
- IBM achieved a quantum workload beyond classical simulation in 2023.
- Jay Gambetta targets a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029 to run very large problems.