Six reasons Liz Truss needs a quantum computer

--1ListenShareAs the UK’s new prime minister starts her first full day in office, Universal Quantum’s head of comms Gemma Church examines how a quantum computer could help Liz Truss address the nation’s problems.It’s the first day that few would relish. The new UK prime minister faces “a mass of policy challenges of a variety and scale almost unprecedented for a postwar leader, particularly a brand new one,” writes Peter Walker for The Guardian.“Truss will be fully aware of the extent of her task, if not always necessarily how she will tackle it,” he adds.But could a quantum computer help Liz Truss?It’s not such a glib question as it first appears. Quantum computers work in a fundamentally different way from conventional computers, making them suitable to tackle a wide range of problems. In fact, we’re only just starting to understand how and where quantum computers could have an impact on society.As such, this article isn’t an exhaustive list of how quantum computing could help the UK Government — but it’s the start of a conversation on how these machines could help, if the government invests in these machines.With inflation rising above 10% in July for the first time in 40 years, energy and food prices have skyrocketed with UK food price inflation hitting its highest level in August 2022.There are many reasons why inflation increases and any PM needs to consider a vast range of factors.For example, if the government issues a tax subsidy for a specific certain product, demand increases and if supply cannot meet demand, costs rise.Or the introduction of rent stabilisation policies could inadvertently increase costs and create an inflationary environment where those costs are passed on to residents or artificially reduce the supply of housing.In short, inflation is a hugely complex topic where a lot of data needs to be analysed to understand how to get the right balance. (And that’s just looking at how inflation impacts the cost of living.)When dealing with such complex problems, growing data is one of the biggest challenges for classical computers.This is where quantum computing comes into play. Quantum computers can process large data sets in record time — giving ministers a way to break down such a complex phenomenon to identify solutions that work and don’t inadvertently do more harm than good.To make matters worse, the UK is also on course for a recession by the end of the year, according to the Bank of England.But quantum computers could run increasingly sophisticated models of market behaviour to predict such disruptive economic events.This is because quantum computers can process and retrieve data from large data sets, making predictions about markets that can help the UK Government prepare for and manage (or even avert) the financial fallout.The nation’s public services are in crisis.

The National Health Service (NHS) is a clear example here with the British Medical Association highlighting the impact not just of the pandemic but also of staff shortages and insufficient funding.Again, there’s no silver bullet to this complex issue. But quantum computers could help in a range of ways.For example, experts predict quantum computers could overhaul our transportation networks, optimise emergency responses for both vaccine distribution and humanitarian aid and improve supply chain logistics and resource management to streamline the flow of goods and other resources.For the NHS, drug development is another highly promising area where quantum computers could help reduce both the time and costs to get new treatments to market.Liz Truss faces an array of environmental crises with Fiona Harvey from The Guardian stating Truss shows “little sign” she is ready to meet those challenges.Quantum computers are suited to modelling complex systems, making them better at forecasting both near-term weather patterns and the long-term effects of climate change.There are also lots of interesting climate applications currently being unearthed, including the simulation of molecules that could have a positive impact on the planet.FeMoco is one example, which is a crucial molecule in the fight against global food shortages and climate change.“A better understanding of the FeMoco molecule could greatly improve the efficiency of converting nitrogen in the air into ammonia, which is then used for fertilizers. This has implications both to world food scarcity, and the climate crisis, as we use something like 2% of the world energy supply just on this process,” writes our quantum architect Dr Mark Webber in a recent company blog post.We’re also leading a £7.5m UK Government project to build a scalable quantum computer and apply this technology to develop sustainable aviation fuels.From cyber-attacks linked to the war in Ukraine to analysts predicting China could hack data for future quantum decryption, cyber crime is a significant, ongoing and ever-evolving threat to national security.Quantum computers are both the problem and solution to this issue. They are exponentially more powerful at breaking many encryption techniques than classical computers.So, while today’s largest supercomputer could never pose a serious threat, current encryption methods will one day be vulnerable to a quantum computing attack.The National Cyber Security Centre is already preparing to mitigate this threat with quantum-safe cryptography.But experts warn we could have seen the first “quantum war” by 2030 where “state actors and others will use quantum computers to try and protect their national and international interests, threatening the world order as we know it.”As such, a sovereign capability in quantum computing is key to protecting the country.Remember Wallpapergate? Boris Johnson’s renovation of his Downing Street flat reportedly cost more than £200,000.OK, it may not be the best use of our quantum computing resources to help Liz Truss choose some nice wallpaper.But as quantum computers start to address a range of challenges for society, we’ll start to see more everyday applications being unlocked — and who knows how this promising technology could help future governments and generations.With the Ministry of Defence acquiring its first quantum computer earlier this year and funding various other quantum projects, the UK Government is already exploring the possibilities of quantum computing.Even Truss’s predecessor understood the potential impact of quantum, with Boris Johnson wanting to “go big on quantum computing.”But Truss is a “hawkish” leader, according to Mark Landler for The New York Times, who describes how Truss “scaled the party’s ranks with what colleagues describe as nerve, drive and an appetite for disruptive politics.”Time will tell whether Truss also has an appetite for disruptive technology. At the very least, Liz Truss “must value science, not fear it,” according to Nature’s editors.If Truss does embrace science and technology, then quantum computing could be a valuable resource not only during her leadership but also in helping the UK compete on the global stage.“This is a global race with other countries investing heavily in their own quantum ecosystems to make the most progress and be the first to both leverage the opportunities and protect against the threats of quantum computing,” writes our CEO and co-founder Dr Sebastian Weidt in a recent article for trade association techUK.“Given the huge economic and national security impact of this technology, we will continue to see every major country with global ambitions to strive towards having a sovereign capability in this sector.”“But we must be bold and continue to invest in this space to ensure this does not become another example of the UK’s leading research being commercialised abroad. Then, the truly exciting conversations can start, with the UK leading the way.”If Liz Truss (or anyone else in her government) fancies finding out more about how quantum computing could help the UK address its most pressing problems, drop us a line at quantum@universalquantum.com.