Sydney (AFP) – Do more, with less: the quantum computer aims to one day reduce the voracious appetite of artificial intelligence for energy thanks to a more efficient calculation system, but this technology still has a way to go before getting there.

Published on: 10/11/2026 - 08:12

Quantum is based on the study of the infinitely small and a quantum computer on an architecture of qubits (quantum bits), its own storage unit, carrying computing power unlike any current machines.

At a time when tech giants are increasing data center projects for AI, the environmental impact of this particularly energy-intensive sector is increasingly criticized.

“One of the reasons why the next generations of AI are expected to consume so much energy is that an entire category of the problems they solve are problems for which quantum calculations are in fact much more suited,” summarizes Andrew Dzurak, founder of Diraq, to ​​AFP.

His start-up is currently testing its own quantum computer in a Sydney data center to see how it reacts to vibrations and electric fields from servers. A crucial test for qubits, prodigious but very delicate.

According to Mr. Dzurak, one of the pioneers of this technology, quantum computing will be deployed in data centers within five years. The promises of energy savings are great.

“Quantum computers will be able to calculate more quickly and with better energy efficiency the state of molecules, the behavior of molecules which could be used in pharmaceutical products, lighter batteries or the chemical industry,” he lists.

His company estimates that quantum could, for example, increase the successful development of new drugs by 10% and reduce marketing costs by a third, if the cost of the computer itself is less than $100 million per year.

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Quantum processors must run under so-called cryogenic temperatures, generally close to zero Kelvin (-273.15°C), in order to prevent the qubits from being disturbed by thermal movements.

Even next to the data center's servers, Diraq's computer and its silicon chip, the company claims, consume less than 20 kWh.

Diraq, along with another Australian company, PsiQuantum, are part of a program by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to see if any of these machines will be able to solve problems profitably by 2033.

Andrew Dzurak is pleased that his country seems to be experiencing its “Silicon Valley of quantum” period.

Local physicist Michelle Simmons' start-up, Silicon Quantum Computing, was notably named by the American magazine Time for having succeeded in one of the best inventions of 2026: a quantum-boosted AI chip.

“Commercialization is undoubtedly one of our biggest challenges. Australia is very good at making discoveries, but turning them into successful businesses requires much more than high-level science,” says the president of the Australian Academy of Technology, Science and Engineering, Cathy Foley.

The boss of Diraq, Andrew Dzurak, emphasizes that quantum computing has become an object of collaboration between countries, which greatly helps its development.

His computer, currently installed in the Equinix company's data center, reflects eight qubits. Diraq wants to reach in 2029... 150,000 qubits.

The company even plans to have concentrated two million qubits on a single silicon chip that would meet DARPA criteria by 2031, two years ahead of schedule.

“We will have an energy consumption of a few hundred kWh” with this system, says Mr. Dzurak.

© 2026 AFP

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