AI experts don’t stay jobless for long, as evidenced by Microsoft’s quick recruitment of former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Co-Founder Greg Brockman.

Altman, who was recently ousted by OpenAI’s board for reasons that have had no shortage of speculation, has found a new home at Microsoft. The announcement came after unsuccessful negotiations with OpenAI’s board to reinstate Altman.

I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.

— Ilya Sutskever (@ilyasut) November 20, 2023

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella – who has long expressed confidence in Altman’s vision and leadership – revealed that Altman and Brockman will lead Microsoft’s newly established advanced AI research team.

Nadella expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “We’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success.”

I’m super excited to have you join as CEO of this new group, Sam, setting a new pace for innovation. We’ve learned a lot over the years about how to give founders and innovators space to build independent identities and cultures within Microsoft, including GitHub, Mojang Studios,…

— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 20, 2023

The move follows Altman’s abrupt departure from OpenAI. Former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear has been appointed as interim CEO at OpenAI.

Today I got a call inviting me to consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to become the interim CEO of @OpenAI. After consulting with my family and reflecting on it for just a few hours, I accepted. I had recently resigned from my role as CEO of Twitch due to the birth of my…

— Emmett Shear (@eshear) November 20, 2023

Altman’s role at Microsoft is anticipated to build on the company’s strategy of allowing founders and innovators space to create independent identities, similar to Microsoft’s approach with GitHub, Mojang Studios, and LinkedIn.

Microsoft’s decision to bring Altman and Brockman on board coincides with the development of its custom AI chip. The Maia AI chip, designed to train large language models, aims to reduce dependence on Nvidia.

While Microsoft reassures its commitment to the OpenAI partnership, valued at approximately $10 billion, it emphasises ongoing innovation and support for customers and partners.

As Altman and Brockman embark on leading Microsoft’s advanced AI research team, the industry will be watching closely to see what the high-profile figures can do with Microsoft’s resources at their disposal. The industry will also be observing whether OpenAI can maintain its success under different leadership.

(Photo by Turag Photography on Unsplash)

See also: Amdocs, NVIDIA and Microsoft Azure build custom LLMs for telcos

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week.

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The post Microsoft recruits former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Co-Founder Greg Brockman appeared first on AI News.

Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, has been removed from his position as CEO and director by the company's board. OpenAI, now worth about $80 billion, cited a failure to be "consistently candid in his communications." Altman is credited with convincing Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to commit $10 billion to the company and leading the company's tender offer transactions this year that fueled a nearly three-fold valuation bump from $29 billion to over $80 billion. His departure leaves a significant gap in the company's fundraising efforts. Despite concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology, Altman has previously stated that "heavy regulation" wasn't needed for some time.

Amdocs has partnered with NVIDIA and Microsoft Azure to build custom Large Language Models (LLMs) for the $1.7 trillion global telecoms industry.

Leveraging the power of NVIDIA’s AI foundry service on Microsoft Azure, Amdocs aims to meet the escalating demand for data processing and analysis in the telecoms sector.

The telecoms industry processes hundreds of petabytes of data daily. With the anticipation of global data transactions surpassing 180 zettabytes by 2025, telcos are turning to generative AI to enhance efficiency and productivity.

NVIDIA’s AI foundry service – comprising the NVIDIA AI Foundation Models, NeMo framework, and DGX Cloud AI supercomputing – provides an end-to-end solution for creating and optimising custom generative AI models.

Amdocs will utilise the AI foundry service to develop enterprise-grade LLMs tailored for the telco and media industries, facilitating the deployment of generative AI use cases across various business domains.

This collaboration builds on the existing Amdocs-Microsoft partnership, ensuring the adoption of applications in secure, trusted environments, both on-premises and in the cloud.

Enterprises are increasingly focusing on developing custom models to perform industry-specific tasks. Amdocs serves over 350 of the world’s leading telecom and media companies across 90 countries. This partnership with NVIDIA opens avenues for exploring generative AI use cases, with initial applications focusing on customer care and network operations.

In customer care, the collaboration aims to accelerate the resolution of inquiries by leveraging information from across company data. In network operations, the companies are exploring solutions to address configuration, coverage, or performance issues in real-time.

This move by Amdocs positions the company at the forefront of ushering in a new era for the telecoms industry by harnessing the capabilities of custom generative AI models.

(Photo by Danist Soh on Unsplash)

See also: Wolfram Research: Injecting reliability into generative AI

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

The post Amdocs, NVIDIA and Microsoft Azure build custom LLMs for telcos appeared first on AI News.

Insider Brief

• Photonic Inc. introduced its new quantum architecture.
• Photonic specializes in spin-photon interfaces in silicon, silicon integrated photonics, and quantum optics.
• The company believes that silicon will serve as the dominant enabling design in quantum computing.

PRESS RELEASE — Photonic Inc., a company building one of the world’s first scalable, fault-tolerant, and unified quantum computing and networking platforms based on photonically linked silicon spin qubits, introduced its quantum architecture. Photonic’s unique approach to quantum computing stands to accelerate innovation across the quantum ecosystem.

“Quantum computing is real, and we believe that—within five years, significantly sooner than the widely accepted timeframe—we will be the first quantum computing company to offer a scalable, distributed, and fault-tolerant solution,” said Dr. Stephanie Simmons, Founder and Chief Quantum Officer of Photonic and Co-chair of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy Advisory Board. “These are the capabilities that must be delivered for quantum computing to be a relied upon across industries, and we believe that we have correctly identified the silicon T centre as the missing component needed to finally unlock the first credible path to impactful commercial quantum computing.”

Photonic specializes in spin-photon interfaces in silicon, silicon integrated photonics, and quantum optics. Photonic has committed to silicon—the chemical element serving as the backbone of modern telecommunications and computation—as the dominant enabling design in quantum computing.

To become universally accessible and useful, quantum computing must be able to:

• achieve large numbers of identical, manufacturable, high-quality qubits
• operate under diverse environmental conditions
• communicate rapidly and reliably among those qubits over networks

Leveraging colour centers and telecom photons, Photonic’s patented technology provides computing (with spin qubits), networking (via photons), and memory. Photonic links in silicon deliver quantum entanglement not only between qubits on the same chip but also among multiple quantum chips. Silicon-based qubits enjoy substantially greater microelectronic-style scalability than other types of qubits. Indeed, Photonic’s architecture achieves horizontal scaling. Photonic’s highly connected qubit architecture also enables use of efficient quantum error correction codes, such as quantum LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes. These codes are known for extremely low physical to logical qubit overheads and fast and efficient hardware implementation.

Such attributes will prove increasingly crucial as quantum computing drives more applications. For example, Photonic’s technology can deliver unparalleled security to global digital communications, offering a solution to the cybersecurity threat posed by the development of quantum computing. Beyond internet cybersecurity, quantum computing promises transformative capabilities for modeling and simulation of complex systems and processes in areas such as climate modelling, materials development, and creation of life-saving pharmaceuticals.

“Ultimately, the breadth of problems to which quantum computing can offer a solution means it will have a tangible, meaningful impact on people all around the world,” said Dr. Paul Terry, Photonic Chief Executive Officer. “We’re moving to large-scale, accessible quantum computers networked together to provide access to quantum services that will enable companies and governments to suddenly tackle problems that are, right now, beyond our capabilities because of the inescapable constraints of classical computing. It’s incredibly thrilling to be on the cusp of this inflection point in quantum computing and, more broadly, physics history.”

Photonic, which has built one of the world’s largest teams of quantum silicon experts, has raised a total of $140 million USD in funding to date, and benefits from leveraging the globally mature manufacturing ecosystem for semiconductors and telecoms. The company is led by innovators with deep expertise in delivering disruptive technologies.

Dr. Simmons is a Tier 2 Canada research chair in silicon quantum technologies and a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research fellow in quantum information science. She is an associate professor in the physics department at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, who has twice been accorded a Physics World Top 10 Breakthrough of the Year (2013 and 2015) for her work in silicon quantum technologies.

Dr. Terry is a seasoned executive, entrepreneur, engineer, and angel investor who has founded or has been one of the founding employees at six successful companies in areas from big data systems to supercomputing, to IP services and telecom networking.

In related news, Photonic also announced today Photonic Collaborating with Microsoft to Power Global Quantum Ecosystem, and Photonic Raises $100 Million USD for Quantum Technology from BCI, Microsoft, and Other Investors. In addition, a Photonic technical paper, Scalable Fault-Tolerant Quantum Technologies with Silicon Colour Centres, details the company’s novel architecture, and a Microsoft blog post, Microsoft and Photonic join forces on the path to quantum at scale, offers more perspective on that company’s collaboration with Photonic. offers more perspective on that company’s collaboration with Photonic.

Insider Brief

• Photonic Inc. recently announced that it has has raised an investment round of $100 million USD.
• The funds were raised from organizations including British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), Microsoft Corporation, the UK government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), Inovia Capital, and Amadeus Capital Partners.
• Photon Inc. is building scalable, fault-tolerant, and unified quantum computing and networking platforms based on photonically linked silicon spin qubit.

PRESS RELEASE — Photonic Inc., a company building one of the world’s first scalable, fault-tolerant, and unified quantum computing and networking platforms based on photonically linked silicon spin qubits, today announced it has raised an investment round of $100M USD. The funds were raised from organizations including British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), Microsoft Corporation, the UK government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), Inovia Capital, and Amadeus Capital Partners. This brings the company’s total funding raised to date to $140M USD.

Photonic is making fault-tolerant quantum technologies a reality with its unique silicon spin-photon interface. The technology leverages the memory and computing capabilities of spins and the connectivity of photonics to build one of the world’s first scalable, fault-tolerant, and networked quantum computers. The company has over 120 employees with a head office in Canada and has recently opened offices in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Photonic’s game-changing approach to deliver on the decades-old promises of quantum computing continues to be fueled by our committed investors and best-in-class employees,” said Paul Terry, Chief Executive Officer of Photonic. “The support of such knowledgeable investors who believe in our work is a testament to our team, our technology, and the direction we’re headed in.”

Hermann Hauser, Co-founder and Venture Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners, added, “Photonic is solving one of the central challenges for scalable quantum computing. By linking qubits with photons on a silicon-based architecture, the power of quantum processing can be unleashed across a distributed computing network with confidence that error correction is able to keep pace. This is an innovation with awesome potential.”

“Since our initial investment in Photonic, the company has reached several major technical milestones related to developing secure quantum solutions, while establishing key commercial partnerships,” said Gordon J. Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at BCI. “As one of Photonic’s largest shareholders, BCI is excited to partner with its management team with the goal of developing one of the first fault-tolerant quantum computers in the world.”

In related news, Photonic also announced today Photonic Collaborating with Microsoft to Power Global Quantum Ecosystem, and Photonic Accelerating Quantum Computing’s Transformational Benefits with New Architecture. In addition, a Photonic technical paper, Scalable Fault-Tolerant Quantum Technologies with Silicon Colour Centres, details the company’s novel architecture, and a Microsoft blog post, Microsoft and Photonic join forces on the path to quantum at scale, offers more perspective on that company’s collaboration with Photonic.

Quantum computing company IonQ has appointed Margaret Arakawa as Chief Marketing Officer and Kurt Kennett as Vice President of Software. Arakawa, who has previously worked at Microsoft, Outreach, and Fastly, will play a key role in IonQ's growth strategy. Kennett, with experience from Microsoft, General Electric, and Nintendo, will lead software operations for IonQ's systems. The appointments follow a year of growth for IonQ, including a $25.5M deal with the US Air Force Research Lab and achieving a technical milestone on a barium platform. IonQ's quantum systems are available through Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

Insider Brief

• Photonic Inc. announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft.
• The agreement positions the two companies to unlock the next stages of development in quantum networking and power the global quantum ecosystem.
• The teams hope to usher in a new era of quantum networking and accelerate innovation across the quantum computing ecosystem.

PRESS RELEASE — Photonic Inc., a company building one of the world’s first scalable, fault-tolerant and unified quantum computing and networking platforms based on photonically linked silicon spin qubits, announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft. The agreement positions the two companies to unlock the next stages of development in quantum networking and power the global quantum ecosystem with future capabilities.

Through the companies’ collaboration, Photonic and Microsoft will provide an integrated roadmap of technologies and products that can enable reliable quantum communications over long distances, as well as access to Photonic’s quantum computing offering via Microsoft Azure Quantum Elements. This could promise to usher in a new era of quantum networking and accelerate innovation across the quantum computing ecosystem.

Microsoft is engineering a fault-tolerant quantum supercomputing ecosystem at scale on Azure to accelerate scientific exploration. Photonic has built one of the world’s largest teams of quantum silicon experts and raised a total of $140 million USD in funding to date. Photonic’s quantum architecture uniquely leverages photonically linked silicon spin qubits, an approach that overcomes the challenges impeding many other quantum platforms. Leveraging a qubit with a photon interface, Photonic’s novel approach communicates using ultralow-loss standard telecom equipment and wavelengths.

“Our strategic collaboration with Microsoft will enable us together to accelerate the pursuit of quantum at scale,” said Dr. Stephanie Simmons, Founder and Chief Quantum Officer of Photonic and Co-chair of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy Advisory Board. “Microsoft is the perfect partner for Photonic, enabling us to tap into global infrastructure, proven platforms, and the tremendous scale of Microsoft Azure.”

“We are thrilled about joining forces with Photonic in improving the world through quantum technologies,” said Jason Zander, Executive Vice President of Strategic Missions and Technologies, Microsoft. “There is an opportunity to ignite new capabilities across the quantum ecosystem extending beyond computing, such as networking and sensing, and unlocking applications and scientific discovery at scale across chemistry, materials science, metrology, communications, and many other fields. The capabilities we aim to deliver together with Photonic can enable this vision and bring about quantum’s impact far more quickly than otherwise possible.”

In related news, Photonic also announced today Photonic Accelerating Quantum Computing Transformational Benefits with New Architecture, and Photonic Raises $100 Million USD for Quantum Technology from BCI, Microsoft, and Other Investors. In addition, a Photonic technical paper, Scalable Fault-Tolerant Quantum Technologies with Silicon Colour Centres, details the company’s novel architecture, and a Microsoft blog post, Microsoft and Photonic join forces on the path to quantum at scale, offers more perspective on that company’s collaboration with Photonic.

Insider Brief

• Microsoft announced a series of initiatives with Photonic.
• Photonic announced it raised $100 million in a funding round led by Microsoft and BCI, along with other investors.
• The moves underscore a dramatic push toward the practical use of quantum computers.
• Image: Photonic’s novel approach—photonically linked silicon spin qubits.

It was quiet in quantum, until it wasn’t. In a slew of announcements this morning, Microsoft announced a blockbuster deal with Photonic Inc. that may be the biggest in the industry this year.

Microsoft executives announced:

• Photonic raised $100 Million USD from BCI, Microsoft, and other investors.
• Microsoft and Photonic will work together to the power global quantum ecosystem.
• Photonic’s new architecture  will accelerate quantum computing’s transformational benefits.

Analysts at The Quantum Insider report the moves show the burgeoning potential of quantum technologies. The partnership will create a joint effort that is designed to unlock the next evolutionary stages in quantum networking and enhance the quantum computing ecosystem with unprecedented capabilities.

Stephanie Simmons, Chief Quantum Officer, told The Quantum Insider:

“Today marks a big reveal in the history of quantum technology development. Alternative quantum networks and computers are small-scale, unreliable, and distinct technologies. The world has been eagerly awaiting the new capabilities that quantum technologies will bring – they have been waiting for scalable, reliable quantum technologies. Today we are sharing a new quantum architecture where the network is the computer – and in doing so, it offers a direct path to large-scale, reliable, networked quantum computing. We are looking forward to unlocking the technology’s potential across a vast range of industries and application spaces”

Here is a breakdown of this sweeping new collaboration:

Microsoft and Photonic’s Strategic Partnership

The collaboration between Microsoft and Photonic is engineered to advance quantum computing and networking, with a special focus on creating scalable, long-distance quantum communication systems and supercomputing capabilities. It’s also important to note that the partnership involves the integration of Photonic’s quantum technology with Microsoft Azure Quantum Elements.

Investment in Photonic

Photonic’s recent funding achievement of $100M USD, led by Microsoft and others, including the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), has raised the company’s total funding to $140M USD. This investment is a strong vote of confidence in the company’s innovative approach to quantum computing.

Photonic’s Quantum Architecture

Photonic has announced an inventive approach to quantum computing that employs photonically linked silicon spin qubits. This new architecture is aimed at creating a scalable, fault-tolerant and networked quantum computing platform. It is designed to be manufacturable, environmentally versatile, and capable of rapid intra-network qubit communication.

Technological Advancements

Leveraging a unique silicon spin-photon interface technology, Photonic is at the forefront of distributed computing. The architecture enables horizontal scaling and integrates quantum error correction for improved reliability. The implications of these advancements are significant, offering enhanced security for digital communications and transformative potential in fields such as climate modeling and pharmaceutical development.

Company Growth and Expertise

Photonic is expanding its global footprint with new offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. The company boasts one of the most significant teams of quantum silicon experts, led by people like Dr. Stephanie Simmons, Chief Quantum Officer, and Dr. Paul Terry, CEO.

Jason Zander, Executive Vice President at Microsoft, expresses excitement about the collaboration with Photonic, stating:

“We are thrilled about joining forces with Photonic in improving the world through quantum technologies. There is an opportunity to ignite new capabilities across the quantum ecosystem extending beyond computing, such as networking and sensing, and unlocking applications and scientific discovery at scale across chemistry, materials science, metrology, communications, and many other fields. The capabilities we aim to deliver with Photonic can enable this vision and bring about quantum’s impact far more quickly than otherwise possible.”

 

Quantum Networking and Its Phases

The partnership intends to tackle quantum networking in three stages. The first stage focuses on achieving entanglement between separate quantum devices. The second stage aims to demonstrate a quantum repeater that can capture and maintain quantum information for a brief period. The third stage aspires to develop a fault-tolerant quantum repeater that operates seamlessly with the Azure cloud, thus removing distance as a barrier in the network and enabling a global quantum internet.

Co-Innovating for Scientific Discovery

Simmons, founder and Chief Quantum Officer at Photonic, underscores the significance of global collaboration for the advancement of quantum computing:

“It will take a global ecosystem to unlock the full promise of quantum computing. No company or country can do it alone. That’s why we’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Microsoft to bring forth these new quantum capabilities. Their extensive global infrastructure, proven platforms, and the remarkable scale of the Azure cloud make them the ideal partner to unleash the transformative potential of quantum computing and accelerate innovation across the quantum computing ecosystem.”

Azure Quantum and Photonic Integration

As part of their co-innovation collaboration, Microsoft plans to integrate Photonic’s unique quantum hardware into Azure Quantum Elements. This strategic move is aimed at empowering scientists with the best offerings in the ecosystem, with a firm commitment to scaling quantum supercomputing in the future.

Photonic’s Vision and Growth

Photonic is focused on building a scalable, fault-tolerant, and unified quantum computing and networking platform, with its headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, and additional offices in the US and UK. The company’s commitment to a native telecom networking interface and the manufacturability of silicon places it at the cutting edge of quantum technology.

In summary, the partnership between Microsoft and Photonic is setting the stage for a quantum revolution. By infusing substantial investments, pioneering quantum architecture, and leveraging their combined expertise, they are forging a path to a future where quantum supercomputing and networking are not just possible but practical and widespread.

Microsoft's Azure Quantum has developed a hybrid quantum supercomputer that combines quantum and classical computing to solve complex problems. The system requires at least one million stable and controllable qubits, and uses error correction to maintain stability. Microsoft's unique topological qubit design aids this stability. The hybrid nature of the supercomputer allows for the integration of quantum and classical computing. Researchers from Microsoft and Quantinuum have successfully run Magic State Distillation and Repeat-Until-Success algorithms on the Azure Quantum system. The system uses Quantum Intermediate Representation to represent quantum and classical logic, optimising program logic.

Insider Brief

• Microsoft’s Azure Quantum program represents the tech giant’s ambitious plan to master the world of quantum computing.
• Dr. Krysta Svore, Distinguished Engineer and VP of Advanced Quantum Development of Microsoft Quantum, discussed the Microsoft’s quantum past, present… and future.
• Svore said Azure Quantum Elements is a platform that leverages the expansive scale of cloud computing, the speed of AI models and the accuracy of quantum computing.

PRESS RELEASE — Microsoft’s Azure Quantum program represents the tech giant’s ambitious foray into the world of quantum computing, encompassing a holistic approach that goes beyond mere hardware. As a cornerstone of Microsoft’s commitment to next-generation computing, the company aims to pioneer breakthroughs by integrating quantum algorithms with high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, while also pursuing a quantum supercomputer. Their integrated approach, encapsulated by offerings like Azure Quantum Elements, underscores Microsoft’s position at the forefront of this transformative technology.

In a fireside chat at a recent quantum conference, Dr. Krysta Svore, Distinguished Engineer and VP of Advanced Quantum Development of Microsoft Quantum, discussed the Seattle-based company’s exploration of quantum computing over the past two decades, the steps being taken towards designing a quantum supercomputer and the strategy for navigating the rapidly-evolving landscape of quantum algorithms.

Svore offered insights into Microsoft’s specific area of focus within quantum computing.  She highlighted the significance of understanding why quantum computing has gained momentum, with particular emphasis on its potential impact in chemistry and materials science.

“I think the key applications, and what we’ve landed on after studying and understanding the landscape of quantum algorithms, are in chemistry and materials science,” said Svore.

Experts are particularly interested in how a potential quantum computing revolution could transform research in chemistry, and, broadly, the chemical industry. The intricacies of molecular and chemical interactions, once deemed too complex for classical computational paradigms, may be more readily explored using quantum computers backed by quantum algorithms. With the capability to accurately simulate and predict molecular behaviors at an atomic level, quantum computing holds the promise to revolutionize catalysis and materials design. According to many experts, the synergy of quantum principles with chemical research paves the way for groundbreaking solutions, from developing innovative medications to crafting sustainable energy sources.

Elaborating on the potential impact of quantum in the realms of chemistry and materials science, Svore said, “Chemistry and materials science impacts all of us, and  underpins some of the biggest challenges facing our planet, like sustainability and food production.  A quantum supercomputer, integrated with HPC and AI, will be able to accurately predict molecular properties not possible with classical computing.  ”

Microsoft Quantum, she said, has built a quantum platform for research discovery, combining the strengths of high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to spur groundbreaking advances.

Discussing the recent developments in Microsoft’s quantum division, Svore said, “What we’ve developed recently is Azure Quantum Elements. This is a platform for really accelerating computational chemistry and materials science discovery and innovation.”

Azure Quantum Elements, she added, is a platform that leverages the expansive scale of cloud computing, the speed of AI models and the accuracy of quantum computing.

Quantum and AI, together

The integration of quantum computing and AI promises a paradigm shift in computational prowess and problem-solving capabilities. Quantum computers, with their inherent ability to compute more like nature, at scale will be able to dramatically improve the accuracy of some computational chemistry calculations, while AI will dramatically amplify the speed and efficiency of understanding large amounts of data. Together, quantum and AI, with data-driven insights and improved accuracy, can optimize and streamline how to approach predictive computational design. Scientists predicted that when AI and quantum are working together, the technologies can tackle previously insurmountable challenges, from simulating complex chemical systems for catalysis design to improving batteries.. The integration also hints at the potential for breakthroughs in machine learning models, enabling them to learn and predict with unprecedented accuracy and speed. This harmonious blend of quantum mechanics and AI foretells a revolutionary leap in technological advancement.

Besides integrating quantum and AI to transform solutions, the company is finding other ways to use AI to help its quantum users. This summer, Microsoft  showed off  “Copilot in Azure Quantum”, a GPT-4 based large language model (LLM) tool that can help quantum researchers.

While elaborating on the synergy between AI and quantum computing, Svore pointed out that Microsoft, itself, has unique synergies. Microsoft is home to some of the world’s most advanced AI projects and has connections to the cutting-edge developments in generative AI. It’s also home to Microsoft Quantum, a world leader in quantum research. Working together, these two teams make powerful partners in tapping both technologies for real-world uses.

Levels of Quantum Progress

Speaking about the roadmap Microsoft has charted for quantum computing, Dr. Svore clarified the hierarchical progression they envision for the industry, “There are three quantum computing implementation levels: Level 1 is foundational, and NISQ machines are at level 1. Level two is resilient, and level three is the quantum supercomputer.”

As quantum computers climb these tiers, the metrics for assessing their performance also undergo transformation. Error rates become pivotal metrics for level two resilient machines, while the introduction of a new metric called ‘reliable quantum operations per second’ (called rQOPS by Microsoft) is emphasized for the top tier, i.e., quantum supercomputers.

Svore said that Microsoft Azure Quantum is at the forefront of understanding quantum algorithms and their requirements, in order to identify the best way to design and build the quantum supercomputer.  In turn, her team has focused on understanding the latest benchmarking procedures, while also developing new measures to understand the performance of future quantum supercomputers on practical applications.

“As an industry, we need a different figure of merit, one that measures system performance on real applications, as we look at evaluating what’s needed from quantum computers.  rQOPS is to the quantum computing industry what FLOPS is to the HPC industry.” said Svore.

Benchmarking in quantum computing is indispensable for validating performance claims, comparing diverse quantum systems and ensuring the quality and reliability of qubits and algorithms. As the field evolves, standardized benchmarks offer clarity on a system’s capabilities, guide optimizations and build trust among potential users. Different quantum architectures, designs and algorithms are also emerging. Benchmarking provides a consistent metric to evaluate that progress, while validating quantum advantage and setting industry standards to ensure the effective development and deployment of quantum technologies.

Strides Toward The Quantum Era

While the quantum industry is often portrayed as a race between competing firms and research institutions, Svore sees it more like a relay race, with teams of scientists, business leaders and entrepreneurs making strides together to reach the finish line.

As the conversation shifted towards these collaborative efforts, Svore emphasized the significance of a combined global initiative in the quantum domain. “This is going to require more than just technology companies, it’s going to require working with academia, working with research institutions, national labs, to come together and move it forward.”

Svore said that the prize at the end of this finish line – practical quantum computing – is no less than solutions to some of the world’s most daunting challenges.  She stressed that a quantum supercomputer would be optimally equipped to address some of those imminent global challenges, especially in sustainability and clean energy.

Microsoft and Siemens are joining forces to usher in a new era of human-machine collaboration.

The result of the collaboration is the Siemens Industrial Copilot, a powerful AI assistant designed to enhance collaboration between humans and machines in the manufacturing sector. The tool enables rapid generation, optimisation, and debugging of complex automation code, significantly reducing simulation times from weeks to minutes.

At the core of this collaboration is the integration of Siemens Industrial Copilot with Microsoft Teams, connecting design engineers, frontline workers, and various teams across business functions. This integration simplifies virtual collaboration, empowering professionals with new AI-powered tools and simplifying tasks that previously required extensive time and effort.

Empowering industries with Generative AI

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, expressed the immense potential of this collaboration, stating: “With this next generation of AI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate innovation across the entire industrial sector.”

Siemens CEO Roland Busch echoed this sentiment; emphasising the revolutionary impact on design, development, manufacturing, and operations.

The companies envision AI copilots becoming integral in industries such as manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare.

Schaeffler AG – a leading automotive supplier – is already embracing generative AI, enabling engineers to generate reliable code for industrial automation systems. Siemens Industrial Copilot will work to reduce downtimes.

Facilitating virtual collaboration

To facilitate virtual collaboration, Siemens and Microsoft are launching Teamcenter for Microsoft Teams; an application that utilises generative AI to connect functions across the product design and manufacturing lifecycle.

This integration will allow millions of workers who previously lacked access to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools to contribute seamlessly to the design and manufacturing processes.

The collaboration between Microsoft and Siemens looks set to be an excellent case study of how AI empowers industries and professionals, revolutionising traditional workflows and fostering global innovation.

(Photo by Sezer Arslan on Unsplash)

See also: Bob Briski, DEPT®:  A dive into the future of AI-powered experiences

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with IoT Tech Expo and Digital Transformation Week.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

The post Microsoft and Siemens revolutionise industry with AI-powered Copilot appeared first on AI News.

So, you want to start developing quantum programs and begin your journey into quantum programming to develop programs for quantum computers? Heart about this cool quantum computing technology and don't know where to begin? Here, we outline some of the best ways to start in the field of quantum computing practically, and what better way than by developing your quantum circuits that run on either actual quantum computing hardware or can be simulated by one of the many quantum frameworks? Let's begin!

This article explores the landscape of companies commercializing quantum computing technologies, classifying them into pure-play and non-pure-play. Quantum companies of note include Rigetti Computing, Quantum Computing Inc, D-Wave Systems, IonQ, Zapata, Honeywell Quantum, Alibaba Group, Baidu, Fujitsu, Google, Intel, NEC, Raytheon, Toshiba, Nvidia, IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon. The article examines each company's recent activities, technology advances, and collaborations in the quantum computing field.

Insider Brief

• A community of technologists, researchers and expert practitioners announce the launch of the PQC Coalition.
• Founding coalition members include IBM Quantum, Microsoft, MITRE, PQShield, SandboxAQ and University of Waterloo.
• The goal of the group is to drive progress toward broader understanding and public adoption of post-quantum cryptography and the National Institute of Science and Technology’s PQC algorithm.

PRESS RELEASE — The data we’re encrypting online today—from financial and personal identification information to military operations and intelligence data—could be quickly decrypted in the future by an adversary with access to a cryptographically relevant quantum computer. To drive progress toward broader understanding and public adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and the National Institute of Science and Technology’s (NIST) PQC algorithms, a community of technologists, researchers, and expert practitioners launched the PQC Coalition. Founding coalition members include IBM Quantum, Microsoft, MITRE, PQShield, SandboxAQ, and University of Waterloo.

“Quantum computers may not be here yet, but their impending arrival is already bringing both opportunities and threats to national and economic security,” said Charles Clancy, chief futurist and senior vice president, MITRE, and general manager, MITRE Labs. “Government and industry need to move together with urgency so that sensitive data and communications are not vulnerable to exposure in the future.”

“The PQC Coalition is well-positioned with both the knowledge and expertise to facilitate a smooth and rapid global transition to PQC and the adoption of crypto-agility for widespread quantum resistance,” said Jen Sovada, president of the public sector at SandboxAQ. “As a charter coalition member, SandboxAQ will leverage its deep public- and private-sector connections to create broader issue awareness, drive development and implementation of PQC solutions, and help streamline the process for organizations to migrate to PQC.”

“IBM has played a key role in driving the development of the new NIST algorithms and has also begun implementing the algorithms in our own technologies and client solutions. Now the time has come to look at the greater industry perspective, and we are delighted to be a charter member of this coalition,” said Mike Osborne, CTO, Quantum Safe, IBM Quantum.

“In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity and as quantum technology continues to advance and change the world, our commitment to the security of our products and customers has never been stronger,” said Inbar Badian, Quantum Safe Program Lead, Office of the CTO, Microsoft Security. “Joining the Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition is another example of our dedication to being a trusted partner across industry and government towards building a quantum-safe future together.”

Ben Packman, senior vice president, PQShield, added, “PQShield is proud to be a founding member of the PQC Coalition, where our expertise and already commercially deployed PQC hardware and software can be leveraged, alongside fellow members, to help to modernize the vital systems and components in the world’s technology supply chain—a key building block to support both government and enterprise migration plans globally.”

“The research community has been working for the past decade to design and evaluate post-quantum cryptography algorithms that we can rely on,” said Douglas Stebila, professor at the University of Waterloo and co-founder of the Open Quantum Safe open-source software project. “The PQC Coalition will advance the deployment and adoption of these algorithms by bringing together key players across industry, academia, and government.”

The PQC Coalition will apply its collective technical expertise and influence to facilitate global adoption of PQC in commercial and open-source technologies. Coalition members will contribute their expertise to motivate and advance interoperable standards and technical approaches and step forward as knowledgeable experts in providing critical outreach and education. With the collective energies of the coalition, maturing technology and readying the ecosystem for the post-quantum transition can be worked in parallel with NIST and alongside the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence’s PQC Migration Project to provide comprehensive information, technology, and guidance for the community.

The July 2022 selection by NIST of four PQC algorithms represented the first step toward enabling a PQC migration. In August 2023, NIST released draft standards for three of the four algorithms. A draft standard for FALCON, the fourth algorithm, is expected to be released in 2024. Moving from developing and assessing the theory behind these algorithms toward transition planning and standardization and integration of the algorithms into libraries, protocols, and commercial technology is no small task. Preparing for a PQC transition includes developing standards for the algorithms; creating secure, reliable, and efficient implementations of those algorithms; and integrating the new post-quantum algorithms into cryptographic libraries and protocols. The defensive value of post-quantum cryptography to the world depends on all these preparatory steps, plus the actual deployment of PQC in computer systems and products.

The coalition initially will focus on four workstreams:

• Advancing standards relevant to PQC migration,
• Creating technical materials to support education and workforce development,
• Producing and verifying open-source, production-quality code, and implementing side-channel resistant code for industry verticals, and
• Ensuring cryptographic agility.

Organizations that wish to get involved in the coalition should contact celiopou@mitre.org.

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