From self-driving cars to military surveillance: quantum computing can help secure the future of AI systems – The Conversation
Artificial intelligence algorithms are quickly becoming a part of everyday life. Many systems that require strong security are either already underpinned by machine learning or soon will be. These systems include facial recognition, banking, military targeting applications, and robots and autonomous vehicles, to name a few.
This raises an important question: how secure are these machine learning algorithms against malicious attacks?
In an article published today in Nature Machine Intelligence, my colleagues at the University of Melbourne and I discuss a potential solution to the vulnerability of machine learning models.
We propose that the integration of quantum computing in these models could yield new algorithms with strong resilience against adversarial attacks.
Machine learning algorithms can be remarkably accurate and efficient for many tasks. They are particularly useful for classifying and identifying image features. However, theyre also highly vulnerable to data manipulation attacks, which can pose serious security risks.
Data manipulation attacks which involve the very subtle manipulation of image data can be launched in several ways. An attack may be launched by mixing corrupt data into a training dataset used to train an algorithm, leading it to learn things it shouldnt.
Manipulated data can also be injected during the testing phase (after training is complete), in cases where the AI system continues to train the underlying algorithms while in use.
People can even carry out such attacks from the physical world. Someone could put a sticker on a stop sign to fool a self-driving cars AI into identifying it as a speed-limit sign. Or, on the front lines, troops might wear uniforms that can fool AI-based drones into identifying them as landscape features.
Read more: AI to Z: all the terms you need to know to keep up in the AI hype age
Either way, the consequences of data manipulation attacks can be severe. For example, if a self-driving car uses a machine learning algorithm that has been compromised, it may incorrectly predict there are no humans on the road when there are.
In our article, we describe how integrating quantum computing with machine learning could give rise to secure algorithms called quantum machine learning models.
These algorithms are carefully designed to exploit special quantum properties that would allow them to find specific patterns in image data that arent easily manipulated. The result would be resilient algorithms that are safe against even powerful attacks. They also wouldnt require the expensive adversarial training currently used to teach algorithms how to resist such attacks.
Beyond this, quantum machine learning could allow for faster algorithmic training and more accuracy in learning features.
Todays classical computers work by storing and processing information as bits, or binary digits, the smallest unit of data a computer can process. In classical computers, which follow the laws of classical physics, bits are represented as binary numbers specifically 0s and 1s.
Quantum computing, on the other hand, follows principles used in quantum physics. Information in quantum computers is stored and processed as qubits (quantum bits) which can exist as 0, 1, or a combination of both at once. A quantum system that exists in multiple states at once is said to be in a superposition state. Quantum computers can be used to design clever algorithms that exploit this property.
However, while there are significant potential benefits in using quantum computing to secure machine learning models, it could also be a double-edged sword.
On one hand, quantum machine learning models will provide critical security for many sensitive applications. On the other, quantum computers could be used to generate powerful adversarial attacks, capable of easily deceiving even state-of-the-art conventional machine learning models.
Moving forward, well need to seriously consider the best ways to protect our systems; an adversary with access to early quantum computers would pose a significant security threat.
The current evidence suggests were still some years away from quantum machine learning becoming a reality, due to limitations in the current generation of quantum processors.
Todays quantum computers are relatively small (with fewer than 500 qubits) and their error rates are high. Errors may arise for several reasons, including imperfect fabrication of qubits, errors in the control circuitry, or loss of information (called quantum decoherence) through interaction with the environment.
Still, weve seen enormous progress in quantum hardware and software over the past few years. According to recent quantum hardware roadmaps, its anticipated quantum devices made in coming years will have hundreds to thousands of qubits.
These devices should be able to run powerful quantum machine learning models to help protect a large range of industries that rely on machine learning and AI tools.
Worldwide, governments and private sectors alike are increasing their investment in quantum technologies.
This month the Australian government launched the National Quantum Strategy, aimed at growing the nations quantum industry and commercialising quantum technologies. According to the CSIRO, Australias quantum industry could be worth about A$2.2 billion by 2030.
Read more: Australia has a National Quantum Strategy. What does that mean?
- Scientists make 'magic state' breakthrough after 20 years without it, quantum computers can never be truly useful - Live Science - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- D-Wave Quantum Skyrocketed Today. Is the Stock a Buy? - Yahoo Finance - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- EIFO and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Acquire the Worlds Most Powerful Quantum Computer - Novo Nordisk Fonden - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Israel and US to forge $200m tech hub for AI and quantum science development - The Times of Israel - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Quantum code breaking? You'd get further with an 8-bit computer, an abacus, and a dog - theregister.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Is quantum computing the next big thing in stocks? - TheStreet - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- What to do while pursuing the promise of quantum computing - Brookings - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Microsoft and Atom Computing Partner on Level 2 Quantum System for Nordic Users - The Quantum Insider - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Progress Toward Practical Areas of Quantum Technology - CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Hybrid classical and quantum computing for enhanced glioma tumor classification using TCGA data - Nature - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Oxford Ionics And Iceberg Quantum Partner to Accelerate Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing - The Quantum Insider - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Are We Truly Prepared for the Era of Quantum Computing? - Security Boulevard - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- New quantum computer with great potential to boost Nordic research and innovation - Novo Nordisk Fonden - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Launching a Quantum Computer, Photonics Meets Electronics in a First-of-its-Kind Chip - Photonics Spectra - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Huge investment to build in Denmark the first level-2 quantum computer - The Copenhagen Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- D-Wave Quantum Skyrocketed Today. Is the Stock a Buy? - The Motley Fool - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Oxford Ionics and Iceberg Quantum Partner to Design Fault-Tolerant Quantum Architecture - Quantum Computing Report - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Cornell And IBM Demonstrate Error-Resistant Quantum Computing Advance - Quantum Zeitgeist - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Quobly and Inria Partner to Advance Scalable, Sovereign Quantum Systems in France - Quantum Computing Report - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- How IBM and Moderna (MRNA) Are Using Quantum Computing to Design Vaccines Faster - TipRanks - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Why D-Wave Quantum Stock Skyrocketed 74.3% in the First Half of 2025 -- and What Comes Next - The Motley Fool - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- D-Wave Quantum Skyrocketed Today. Is the Stock a Buy? - Nasdaq - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- IBM and Moderna Team Up on Quantum Study. What It Means for the World of Medicine. - Barron's - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Silicon Spin Qubits: Scaling Toward the Million-Qubit Era - EE Times Europe - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Why D-Wave Quantum Stock Skyrocketed 74.3% in the First Half of 2025 -- and What Comes Next - The Globe and Mail - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Universal Quantum and TUHH Partner on Scalable Quantum Software for 100 000-Qubit Machines - The Quantum Insider - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- IonQ, D-Wave, and Rigetti Face Off Ahead of Earnings Whos Nearest to Commercial Breakthrough? - TipRanks - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Granite Geek: As quantum mechanics turns 100, it is sneaking into everyday life - Monadnock Ledger-Transcript - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- The rise of women in quantum science in India and the legacy of Satyendra Nath Bose - Physics World - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- BDx and Anyon launch hybrid quantum AI testbed in Singapore - Light Reading - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- What Is RSA Encryption, And Did China Really Break It? - SlashGear - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) Loses 11.8% as 2 Tech Giants Could Threaten its Competitive Edge - MSN - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Cracking the quantum code: light and glass are set to transform computing - Cyprus Mail - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Revolutionary Quantum-AI Drone Tech Transforms Military Defense and Weather Forecasting - Stock Titan - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- How Post-Quantum Cryptography Affects Security and Encryption Algorithms - Cisco Blogs - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- QUANTUM COMPUTING INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY FORMER LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of... - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- TRIUMF, Perimeter Institute, and D-Wave Collaborate on Quantum-AI for Particle Physics Simulation - Quantum Computing Report - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The next leap for the technology sector: quantum computing - TechRadar - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Forget ransomware - most firms think quantum computing is the biggest security risk to come - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Quantum Computers Could Break Encryption : Are We Ready for the Digital Apocalypse? - Geeky Gadgets - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Texas wants to lead in the next big thing in computing. But is it too late? - Austin American-Statesman - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Post-quantum cryptographic inventory the latest PQC buzzword and why you need to know it - Cybernews - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Billionaires Are Buying This Quantum Computing Stock Hand Over Fist (Hint: It's Not IonQ or D-Wave Quantum) - Yahoo Finance - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Is Rigetti Computing the Top Quantum Computing Stock for the Second Half of 2025? - Nasdaq - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- CHAMP-ION Project: Why Europe Isnt Backing Down in the Quantum Computer Race - embedded.com - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Tiny quantum drumhead sends sound with 1-in-a-million losspoised to rewrite tech - ScienceDaily - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- The Q-Day Countdown: What It Is and Why You Should Care - Security Boulevard - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Finland breaks quantum record with 1-millisecond qubit coherence - Interesting Engineering - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Quantum Breakthrough: Qubit Coherence Hits Record Millisecond Milestone - The Debrief - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Japan needs to take the quantum-technology leap - The Japan Times - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- NPL quantum circuits imaging could unlock stable quantum computers - Innovation News Network - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Should You Buy Rigetti Computing Stock for Less Than $15? - The Motley Fool - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Individual defects in superconducting quantum circuits imaged for the first time - Phys.org - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- What's the Story? Quantum computing meets telecom - Light Reading - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Photonic powerhouse: Light is driving the quantum revolution - Laser Focus World - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Quantum Computers Pose Long-Term Threat to Bitcoin Security - AInvest - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing 'Q-Day' Threatens Bitcoin (BTC) & Ethereum (ETH) as Singapore Tightens Crypto Regulations - Blockchain News - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 2 Top Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in July - Yahoo Finance - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Cracking the quantum code: light and glass are set to transform computing - ScienceBlog.com - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Helgoland 2025: the inside story of what happened on the quantum island - Physics World - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- A shortcut to quantum randomness: Hacked qubit blocks achieve the unexpected - Interesting Engineering - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Physicists use 5,564-qubit quantum computer to model the death of our universe - The Brighter Side of News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Small, room-temperature quantum computers that use light on the horizon after breakthrough, scientists say - Live Science - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Quantum computers are surprisingly random but that's a good thing - New Scientist - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Quantum computers could bring lost Bitcoin back to life: Heres how - Cointelegraph - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The Quantum Computing Industry Is Crowded. Why D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti Are a Buy. - Barron's - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Quantum tech is coming and with it a risk of cyber doomsday - politico.eu - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Quantum Annealers From D-Wave Optimise Robotic Inspection Of Industrial Components. - Quantum Zeitgeist - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy Right Now - Yahoo Finance - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- QBTS: With Its Quantum Leap Priced In, Jump In On A Dip (NYSE:QBTS) - Seeking Alpha - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Buy this quantum computing stock that can rally more than 30%, Cantor says - CNBC - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- A new tech race is on. Can Europe learn from the ones it lost? - politico.eu - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Rigetti Computing: Cantor's Bullish Call May Be Just the Start - MarketBeat - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The Quantum Data Center of the Future: Q&A - IoT World Today - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing Investments: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity? - Yahoo Finance - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Q&A: Companies are racing to develop the first useful quantum computerultracold neutral atoms could be the key - Phys.org - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Quantum Computers Just Reached the Holy Grail No Assumptions, No Limits - SciTechDaily - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Scientists Achieve Teleportation Between Quantum Computers for the First Time Ever - MSN - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The IBM Comeback Story That's Making Wall Street Pay Attention - Investopedia - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Scientists Achieve Teleportation Between Quantum Computers for the First Time Ever - The Daily Galaxy - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]