The Quantum Era began while you were watching AI

Step aside, artificial intelligence. Another transformative technology with the potential to reshape industries and realign geopolitical power is finally leaving the lab: quantum.

The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. It was marked by a flurry of announcements – and a mountain of hype – surrounding a mind-boggling area of ​​science long dismissed as perennial because it was still a decade away from usefulness. But that’s also how people talked about AI before ChatGPT fueled the current global arms race and investor euphoria.

Quantum technology exploits the strange mechanics of quantum physics – how particles behave at the atomic level…