Sundar Pichai calls quantum computing the next AI boom, projecting major breakthrough in five years

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has offered a rare forecast about the technology following the Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom, suggesting that quantum computing is rapidly approaching a breakthrough moment similar to what AI experienced five years ago.

In a recent interview aired on BBC Newsnight, Pichai stated that Google's quantum program is at a tipping point. He remarked, “I would say quantum is there where maybe AI was 5 years ago. So I think in five years from now we'll be going through a very exciting phase in quantum.” He confirmed that Google is making major investments into this next phase of development.

Pichai's on-record comments, which place a timeline on when quantum technology could become commercially significant, have fueled speculation among investors and netizens about the next major deep tech market explosion.

What Quantum Computing Can Achieve

Pichai described quantum computing as a fundamental shift, moving beyond a simple technology upgrade. He highlighted Google's leadership in the field, noting that because nature and the universe fundamentally operate on quantum mechanics principles, the technology offers profound societal benefits.

"We have the state-of-the-art quantum computing efforts in the world…building quantum systems I think will help us better simulate and understand nature and unlock many benefits for society," he added.

Quantum computing is an advanced form of computation that uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers. Potential applications are vast and include:

Drug Discovery and Materials Science: Simulating molecular interactions with a high degree of accuracy to accelerate the development of new drugs and advanced materials.

Cryptography: Posing a challenge to current encryption methods (like Shor's algorithm for factoring large numbers) and driving the need for new, quantum-safe security protocols.

Optimization: Solving complex logistics, financial modeling, and supply-chain problems by evaluating numerous variables simultaneously.

This statement follows Google’s recent achievement in developing an algorithm called "Quantum Echoes" on its "Willow" quantum computing chip. Google claims this system can replicate on similar systems, is verifiable, and can outperform classical supercomputers, with one calculation reportedly running 13,000 times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer for that specific task.

Pichai’s remarks have become a viral topic, with investors drawing parallels to the early stages of the AI surge.

One X user commented, “This sounds exactly like the early-AI hints nobody took seriously — right before valuations went vertical. When CEOs speak this openly, the groundwork is already in place.”

Another observer speculated, “If Sundar is right and quantum is now is where AI was ~2020, we’re about to see the same insane exponential explosion but in a completely different dimension. AI went from ‘kinda useful’ to rewriting the entire world in 4–5 years. Quantum about to do the same to encryption, drug discovery, materials science, logistics… everything.”

These reactions underscore a belief that the groundwork for the next massive technological and commercial shift—the "quantum boom"—is being laid now, echoing the period before the rise of generative AI.