Quantum computers could help curb the vast energy demands of artificial intelligence data centres, according to one of the technology's pioneers, who is behind Australian startup Diraq.
The argument rests on how quantum machines handle complex calculations. The founder says that ability could reduce the power needed to run the heavy workloads that now drive energy use in AI infrastructure.
Diraq is putting the claim to a practical test. The startup is conducting what it describes as the first field test worldwide of a small quantum computer built on a silicon chip. The test takes the machine out of a laboratory setting and into a real-world environment.
The silicon approach is notable because it builds on the kind of chip material that underpins conventional computing. That gives the technology a possible route towards integration with existing hardware, though the source material does not detail how Diraq plans to do this.
The energy cost of AI has become a growing concern for data centre operators and the companies that depend on them, as demand for computing power rises. Diraq's founder is positioning quantum computing as one possible answer to that problem.
The founder's comments are a forecast, not a demonstrated result. The field test is at an early stage, and the machine involved is small. Results, timelines and commercial terms have not been disclosed.
