With all of the sensationalization, I am now convinced that many of the people in quantum computing itself are grifters, and that funding agencies keep paying them to put pressure on classical computing (despite knowing that QC is a big grift).
Already, optimization problems have seen classical "ising" chips get great results (as good as the quantum annealing chips), proving that optimization doesn't actually need tunneling or superposition.
Now, the number theorists just need to come up with a classical analog for a QFT or another similar transform, and we will see them obviate QC here. Arguably, RSA being obsolete has already done this.
In simulation, supercomputers are also making huge advances in power.
Already, optimization problems have seen classical "ising" chips get great results (as good as the quantum annealing chips), proving that optimization doesn't actually need tunneling or superposition.
Now, the number theorists just need to come up with a classical analog for a QFT or another similar transform, and we will see them obviate QC here. Arguably, RSA being obsolete has already done this.
In simulation, supercomputers are also making huge advances in power.