Okay, so. Welcome back to the deep dive. And
today, we're really diving into something that
sounds like it's straight out of science fiction,
right? It's the whole quantum computing and AI
thing. You know how they're all tangled up together.
Yeah. And you're here because you're the kind
of person who wants to get right to the heart
of it all, right? You want to know what's really
going on and what it all means. So we've been
digging through some really interesting stuff.
Right. And we're going to try to bring you the
key takeaways, right? The stuff that really matters.
Absolutely. And for this one, we've been mainly
focusing on this discussion with Fernando Dominguez
-Pinauga from Sandbox AQ. And the main thing
we're going to try to do here is we want to get
past all the hype. You hear so much about quantum
this, quantum that. What's the reality? What's
actually happening with quantum computing? And
how is AI playing a role in all this? And what's
it all going to mean for? you know, businesses
and for us regular folks in the years to come.
Right. Yeah, it's interesting because I think
a lot of times the first time that people encounter
quantum physics is through science fiction. Oh
yeah, for sure. You see shows like Devs and they
present it as like this mystical force, almost
like magic. Right. But the reality is... Quantum
mechanics are just the fundamental rules of the
universe at the atomic level, right? It's not
some sort of distant fantasy It's it's it's the
basis for a lot of the technology that we use
every day, you know from photonics transistors
GPS even MRI machines. OK, so it's not magic,
but it is kind of like the bedrock, the foundation
of so much of our technology today, right? Absolutely.
And now what's really changing things up is that
AI is getting more powerful and that's really
accelerating the development of quantum computers
and also helping us figure out what we can actually
do with them. Yeah, exactly. AI is becoming sort
of like the key to unlocking the potential of
quantum mechanics and helping us see what are
the most promising areas where we can actually
apply it. OK, so when it comes to quantum computers,
when are we actually going to see them doing
things that matter, that have an impact on businesses
and people's daily lives? Fernando seems to think
that around 2028 to 2030, that's when we might
start seeing what he calls viable or business
useful quantum computers. Right, right. There's
a lot of excitement around that sort of near
term future. It's important to remember that
the quantum computers that we have today are
still basically in the research phase. They're
very error prone. So that really limits their
widespread use at this point. Right. You can
kind of think of them like super powerful calculators,
but they still make a lot of mistakes. I see.
I see. So we're not quite there yet. But the
progress is happening very rapidly. Yeah, that
makes sense. That makes sense. And this kind
of brings us to this whole debate about quantum
supremacy versus actually solving real world
problems, right? I mean, we all remember back
in 2019 when Google made that big announcement
about their Sycamore chip. Doing that calculation
in like 200 seconds, that would take a supercomputer
10 ,000 years or something like that. I mean,
that sounds like a huge leap forward. Absolutely,
it was a landmark demonstration of the raw power
that quantum computing has. But it's important
to note that the problem that the Sycamore chip
solved was very specific. It was like this very
specialized mathematical problem, kind of designed
to showcase the speed advantage. It wasn't actually
solving any real -world problems that humans
were facing at that time. It was more like proving
a concept than actually giving us a solution
that we could use right away. Exactly. And it's
really interesting that Google even offered a
$5 million prize for anyone who could use a quantum
computer to solve a truly... Useful problem,
right? I mean that kind of highlights how much
work still needs to be done Yeah, absolutely.
It really underscores the the gap that still
exists between the potential of quantum computing
Yeah, and the actual practical application to
real -world problems I see but you know, it's
likely that in the future we'll see a sort of
hybrid approach right where we have CPUs and
GPUs working together with these QPUs and will
break down problems into their different parts.
And each part will be handled by the type of
processor that's best suited for the job. That
makes a lot of sense. So that makes a lot of
sense. So are there any particular types of problems
where you think quantum computers are really
going to excel? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Fernando
talks about things like optimization problems.
So think about optimizing logistics for a huge
supply chain or solving that classic traveling
salesman problem in a really efficient way. And
also cryptography, that's another area where
quantum computers have the potential to really
shake things up. Okay, okay, so speaking of shaking
things up, let's talk about Sandbox AQ, right?
This is the company that Fernando was a part
of. And it's got this really interesting origin
story. It started out in Google X, you know,
that's their moonshot factory. And then it spun
out into its own company in 2022, and they just
got this massive $300 million funding round,
you know, with some really big names like Mark
Benioff, Eric Schmidt, Jan LeCun. I mean, when
you see that kind of backing, you know, they're
on to something. something, right? Yeah, for
sure. It definitely raises eyebrows. Yeah. And
the thing is, the AQ in sandbox AQ, it's not
just a random name. Right. It stands for artificial
quantum. And their whole vision, what they've
been working on for over seven years now, is
this idea of combining artificial intelligence
with quantum technologies. Absolutely. And a
key part of their work is what they call large
quantitative models. These are AI models that
go beyond just crunching numbers and data. They
actually incorporate the fundamental laws of
nature. like mathematical, physical, biological,
chemical, even quantum physics principles. It's
built into the structure of the model itself.
So it's like they're teaching the AI the actual
laws of physics. Exactly. Yeah, it's not just
about statistical probabilities. It's about understanding
the underlying equations that govern the universe.
Wow. So how is that different from the large
language models, the LLMs, that we're hearing
so much about? Right. Well, LLMs are really good
at processing text. generating text based on
patterns and probabilities. But LQMs are different.
They're built to solve problems based on the
actual equations of the universe. Fernando gives
this great example with like two plus two. In
LM, I predict four because it's seen that pattern
a million times. But an LQM would actually perform
the mathematical operation of addition to get
to the answer. So it's a fundamentally different
way of understanding. I see. So it's not just
pattern matching. It's actually like understanding
the underlying principles, right? Exactly. And
that's how they avoid those weird hallucinations
that we sometimes see with LLMs, right? Right,
yeah. That's a big advantage of LQMs. They're
less prone to making those kinds of mistakes
because they're grounded in the actual laws of
physics. That's fascinating. And is Sandbox AQ
the only company that's really pursuing this
approach? Well, Fernando points out that there
aren't a lot of direct competitors working on
this specific combination of AI and quantum physics
in the same way that they are. Right. You know,
obviously the big tech companies have their own
internal research going on. Sure. But Sandbox
AQ seems to be kind of carving out their own
niche. in this space and you know it's interesting
because it seems like this whole think big mentality
is just baked into their dna from their time
at google x oh yeah absolutely the whole culture
at x is about focusing on these massive global
problems trying to solve things that could impact
billions of people right it's about finding those
problems that if you can solve them It's a game
changer for the entire world. Yeah, he really
emphasized that billion number, didn't he? He
did, yeah, he's really passionate about that.
Yeah, and he used Google Maps as an example,
right? Yeah, yeah, Google Maps was this massive
undertaking, took years to develop, no clear
path to profit in the beginning, but the idea
was that if they could create something truly
valuable, a comprehensive map of the world, the
monetization would come later. Right, and at
the time it sounded crazy, right? Driving around
with cameras on cars mapping every single street.
Yeah, a lot of people thought it was a crazy
idea, but, you know, look at it now. Yeah, exactly,
exactly. And it seems like that same kind of
long -term vision is also behind projects like
Project Loon, you know, trying to deliver internet
access via balloons. Right. And the early work
on self -driving cars that eventually led to
Waymo. Yeah, and even if Waymo doesn't end up
being the... top dog in the self -driving car
market. Right. The work that they did really
pushed the whole industry forward and has the
potential to make our roads much safer and save
lives. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, even if they're not
the ones who ultimately win, they've kind of
paved the way for everybody else. Absolutely.
And it's fascinating how Sandbox AQ itself came
out of this think big culture, right? I mean,
it was Sergey Brin himself, Google's co -founder,
who really pushed for this. Yeah. Initially,
he even called it Sergey Sandbox. That's funny.
And he brought in all these top professors to
teach the software engineers about advanced science
and mathematics. Wow. The goal was to give them
this deep understanding of these really complex
fields so they could then go and apply that knowledge
to real world problems. That's amazing. And so
what kinds of things did they start exploring?
Well, they went into all sorts of different areas
of quantum technologies, you know, things like
advanced sensing, quantum simulation of materials,
cyber security, quantum communications. even
the groundwork for a future quantum internet.
Wow. The underlying idea was always, how can
we combine these quantum capabilities with artificial
intelligence to really amplify their impact?
So they were thinking about the synergy between
these two fields from the very beginning. Absolutely.
That was a core part of their vision from day
one. So this brings us to what Fernando calls
physical AI, which really aligns with a lot of
the ideas that Nvidia's CEO Jensen Hong has been
talking about. Right. It's about AI that isn't
just stuck in the digital world, it's AI that
interacts with and shapes the physical world.
robotics and quantum physics are going to be
key parts of this. So it's like AI that can actually
do things in the real world. Exactly. It's about
AI that can build things, move things, create
things in the physical world. And we're already
seeing this happening, right? Like Sandbox IQ
is working with NVIDIA. Their engineers are collaborating
to get those powerful GPUs from NVIDIA to run
those complex quantum computing equations and
to speed up the training and development of those
large quantitative models. Absolutely. Yeah,
that kind of co -engineering is really essential
to bridging that gap between the theoretical
models and the actual practical applications.
So it's like they're building the hardware and
software together to make this physical AI a
reality. Right. Yeah, it's all about making those
models work in the real world, not just on paper.
So in a way, physical AI is about taking the
insights from those LQMs and applying them to
things like robots, right? Exactly. Yeah, robots
that can do really complex tasks in the real
world. I guess that's where LLMs, those large
language models, I kind of fall short, right?
I mean, they're great at understanding and generating
text. Right. But when it comes to like core industrial
applications, things like energy, oil and gas,
finance, automotive, aerospace. Yeah, those are
the areas where you really need that precise
quantitative understanding that LQMs provide.
Right, right. Because those industries are all
about interacting with the physical world. Exactly.
Yeah. And Fernando highlights some of the work
that they're doing. Like they're working with
the Army to develop new lightweight materials
with specific properties. Wow. And they're collaborating
with pharmaceutical companies on drug discovery
and development, even working on improving energy
storage solutions like better batteries. That's
amazing. And it sounds like those are all areas
where you really need that deep understanding
of physics and chemistry that those LQMs can
provide. Absolutely. Yeah. You can't just brute
force your way through those problems. You need
to understand the underlying science. So physical
AI is really about creating AI that understands
the world in a way that's similar to how humans
understand it, right? Exactly. Yeah, it's about
learning from real world data. understanding
the fundamental principles of science, and then
using that knowledge to control and improve physical
systems. So how does Sandbox AQ actually operate
as a business? I mean do they build quantum computers?
No, they don't actually build the quantum computers
themselves. Right now the business models in
the quantum computing space are mostly focused
on research and development contracts. with companies
that want to explore the technology and also
providing access to quantum computing hardware
for research labs, often through cloud platforms.
I see, I see. For now, it makes a really good
point that most companies don't need to go out
and buy their own quantum computer right now.
Right. Given the current state of the technology
and the availability of cloud access. Yeah, it's
kind of like the early days of the internet,
right? Nobody needed to buy their own server.
They could just access it through a service provider.
Exactly. Yeah, it's a very similar situation
with quantum computing right now. So what's the
point of all these partnerships then? If nobody's
actually using quantum computers in their day
-to -day business, why are companies willing
to pay for access? It's all about gaining knowledge,
experimenting, and positioning themselves to
be early adopters of a potentially game -changing
technology. Right, right. So it's kind of like
getting a head start on the competition. Exactly.
And Sandbox AQ's advice is very clear. Don't
rush out and buy a quantum computer today. OK.
But definitely invest in building a team with
the expertise to experiment via the cloud and
really understand what this technology can do.
I see. I see. And you know, Sandbox AQ is really
focused on those other areas of quantum technologies
that are already delivering value today. Like
that. So things like advanced quantum sensors.
These sensors have unprecedented precision. Quantum
simulation for designing new materials and molecules.
Right. And also quantum safe cryptography. and
cybersecurity solutions to protect against those
future quantum attacks. Right, right. Because
those are real threats that we need to be prepared
for. Absolutely. And they've actually structured
their company into four different business units.
each one focused on one of these key areas. Wow.
So they're really covering all the bases. Yeah.
And they're also very committed to education.
They have a YouTube channel with all sorts of
content. Oh, that's cool. From short explainers
to really in -depth discussions with experts,
like they have this one with Jack Hadary and
Eric Schmidt talking about the synergy between
LQMs and AI quantum technologies. OK, I'll have
to check that out. Yeah, it's definitely worth
a watch. So let's talk about this whole quantum
computing and cybersecurity. issue, because that's
a big one, right? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean,
the idea that quantum computers could break our
current encryption methods is pretty scary. It
is, yeah. And you know, the theoretical possibility
of quantum computers has been around for decades.
Right. But it was Peter Shor's algorithm back
in 1994 that really raised the alarm bells. This
algorithm, if you could run it on a powerful
enough quantum computer, could crack the public
key encryption that we use for pretty much everything
online today. Wow. And with the rapid advancements
in quantum computing that we've seen in the last
few years, it seems like that threat is becoming
more and more real. Yeah. A lot of experts think
that we could have those kinds of quantum computers
within the next five to seven years, around that
2029, 2030 time frame that we talked about earlier.
So what are the implications of that? I mean,
what's the worst case scenario here? Well, Fernando
talks about this store now, decrypt later scenario.
Store now, decrypt later. OK. So basically, nation
states or sophisticated hackers are collecting
vast amounts of encrypted data today with the
expectation that they'll be able to decrypt it
in the future once they have access to these
powerful quantum computers. So even data from
the past could be vulnerable. Exactly. Yeah.
It's a really serious threat that we need to
be taking steps to address right now. So what
can we do about it? Well, the challenge is that
most organizations don't even have a good understanding
of their own encryption infrastructure. Right.
And migrating to post -quantum cryptography,
which means adopting new quantum -resistant algorithms,
that's a really complex and time -consuming process.
So it's not just like installing a software update.
No, it's much more involved than that. It can
take years, depending on the size and complexity
of the organization. And the US government is
taking this seriously, right? I mean, they've
mandated that all Department of Defense agencies
have to have a plan in place to migrate to post
-quantum cryptography. Yeah, they're definitely
taking it seriously. It's a top priority for
national security. And it makes you wonder what's
going on in other countries, right? I mean, especially
China. They've been making a lot of progress
in quantum computing. Yeah, Fernando frames it
as a global race. Kind of like the space race
of the 20th century, with both Western countries
and China making advancements and trying to stay
ahead of each other. And it's like a secret race
in a way, because nobody wants to reveal their
hand, right? If you've got a breakthrough in
decryption capabilities, you probably want to
keep that quiet. Exactly. It's a very strategic
area, so the true state of affairs might be a
bit murky. It makes you think about that whole
enigma code situation in World War II, right?
Yeah, that's a great analogy. The side that could
secretly decrypt their enemy's communications
had a huge advantage. Exactly, and it could be
the same with quantum computing, the nation or
organization that has a powerful quantum computer
and the ability to decrypt everyone else's secrets.
Right, it would be a very powerful position to
be in. Okay, so let's shift gears a little bit
and talk about some of the more speculative but
exciting possibilities, you know, like potential
breakthroughs and discoveries. Okay, yeah, let's
get into that. Fernando mentioned Sandbox AQ's
work on magnetic navigation, like a backup system
for GPS in case GPS goes... down right and they're
also doing research on advanced cryptography
yeah lots of interesting stuff going on there
and it's easy to get caught up in all the sci
-fi scenarios right like AI and quantum computing
leading to all these amazing discoveries yeah
and that ties into what you were talking about
earlier those aha moments those sudden flashes
of insight right right like those breakthroughs
that completely change our understanding of the
world exactly and you know, the combination of
AI's analytical power and quantum computing's
ability to tackle these incredibly complex calculations,
it really has the potential to accelerate scientific
discovery in all sorts of fields. You know, everything
from developing new medicines to understanding
the fundamental laws of the universe. And that
kind of leads us to the big question, right?
The one that everybody's talking about. The singularity.
Yeah, or artificial superintelligence, you know.
What happens when AI becomes smarter than humans?
Is that something that could actually happen?
And if so, is it something that we should be
afraid of? It's definitely a hot topic. And Fernando
acknowledges that even defining what we mean
by artificial general intelligence, AGI, and
super intelligence, it's not straightforward.
There's no universally agreed upon definition.
But generally speaking, AGI would be AI that
can perform any intellectual task that a human
can. Right. And super intelligence would be AI
that surpasses human intelligence across the
board. So it's that transition from... AGI to
super intelligence. That's where things could
get really interesting, right? Yeah, that's the
point where AI potentially goes beyond anything
that we can even imagine. And some people think
that quantum computers might be the key to making
that happen, right? That they'll provide the
raw computing power that AI needs to reach that
level. It's definitely a possibility. But Sandbox
AQ's focus is really on the more immediate positive
impacts that these technologies can have. Right.
They're working on things like protecting sensitive
information, creating advanced medical devices,
like they're collaborating with Nobel laureate
Stanley Prusiner on Alzheimer's research. They're
using LQMs to speed up the simulations of those
complex molecules, trying to understand how the
disease works. They're also working on improving
navigation systems, making them more resilient
and developing sustainable solutions, you know,
like designing catalysts that can break down
plastics. That's great. And it seems like that
focus on creating a positive impact is something
that really attracts top talent to companies
like Sandbox AQ. Absolutely. People want to work
on things that are going to make a difference
in the world. Yeah. They want to be part of something
bigger than themselves. Exactly. And Fernando
emphasizes that Sandbox AQ's belief is that the
convergence of AI, quantum technologies, and
those large quantitative models it offers a more
hopeful and impactful path forward. Focusing
on solving those big human challenges, rather
than just worrying about the potential risks
of super intelligence. It's like he's saying,
let's use these tools to make the world a better
place. Yeah, exactly. Let's focus on the good
that we can do right now. He also draws a parallel
to the internet, right? Right. The internet has
its downsides, obviously. Sure. But overall,
it's brought a lot of positive things to humanity.
Yeah. I think that's a fair assessment. And I
think the same could be said for AI and quantum
computing. You know, there are risks, but there's
also tremendous potential for good. And what
about those big questions about the universe?
You know, the things that have always fascinated
humans, like the nature of black holes or the
possibility of faster -than -light travel? Right,
well, those are definitely big questions. And
AI and quantum computing are powerful tools that
could help us answer them. Yeah. You know, the
ability to perform these complex simulations
and analyze massive amounts of data, it's going
to be essential for scientific discovery. Right.
But the universe is vast, and those questions
are deep, so it might be a while before we have
definitive answers. Yeah, those are like those
really long -term research projects, right? Exactly.
It's going to take time and patience. And it
seems like there's still so much that we don't
even know about quantum physics itself, right?
I mean, those experiments they're doing on superposition
and entanglement just... mind -boggling. Absolutely.
Yeah, we're still learning about the fundamental
nature of reality. And Fernando makes this really
interesting point that human intelligence, as
amazing as it is, it might have its limits. Right.
And AI, especially when it's combined with the
power of quantum computers, that could be the
key to pushing past those limits, to expanding
our knowledge in ways that we can't even imagine
right now. Yeah, it's really exciting to think
about what we might be able to achieve with these
tools in the years to come. So wrapping things
up, it's clear that AI and quantum computing,
they're not just science fiction anymore. No,
they're very real and they're going to have a
profound impact on our world. They have the potential
to change everything from how we do business
to how we understand the universe itself. Absolutely.
And it's something that everyone should be paying
attention to, even if you're not a scientist
or an engineer. Yeah, it's going to affect all
of us in one way or another. And for those who
want to learn more, I highly recommend checking
out Sandbox AQ's YouTube channel and their website.
They have tons of great information and resources.
We'll put those links in the show notes. And
they also have partnerships with universities
and residency programs. So if you're interested
in getting involved in this field, that's a great
place to start. Yeah, there are so many opportunities
out there for people who want to get involved
in this exciting field. Absolutely. And the pace
of discovery is only accelerating. So who knows?
what the future holds. That's the most exciting
part, right? We're just at the beginning of this
journey, and the possibilities are endless. Yeah,
it's going to be an amazing ride, that's for
sure. So thanks for joining us on this deep dive
into the world of quantum computing and AI. And
until next time, keep exploring. Keep those brains
firing. Exactly. And we'll see you on the next
deep dive. All right, see you later. Take care.
Bye.