IBM and AMD to build quantum-classical hybrid computing platform

IBM and Advanced Micro Devices announced Tuesday that they will partner to develop next generation computing architectures that combine IBM quantum systems with AMD high performance processors and AI accelerators, aiming to create scalable, open source hybrid quantum classical platforms. The companies said an initial demonstration of the integrated technology is planned for later this year and that the collaboration could accelerate research in areas from drug and materials discovery to logistics and optimization.

Under the agreement, IBM will contribute its quantum hardware and related software expertise while AMD will provide its CPUs, GPUs and field programmable gate arrays to build what the firms described as a quantumcentric supercomputing model. The partners said they intend to explore how quantum computers and classical high performance computing can work together to run classes of algorithms that neither system handles efficiently on its own, and to support open ecosystems such as Qiskit to broaden developer access.

"Quantum computing will simulate the natural world and represent information in an entirely new way," IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Arvind Krishna said in...