MKS sports east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-17/586e1606-5761-40c2-bfd8-45b8fb304fd9.jpeg" />

A visitor takes photos of an Origin Wukong superconducting quantum computer model at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

Quantum computing could slash the time to train artificial intelligence (AI) from weeks to mere hours, a senior Chinese quantum computing scientist told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of China's annual two sessions.

The parallel computing capability and exponentially growing computing speed of quantum computing can significantly accelerate the training and reasoning speed of AI models, Guo Guoping, a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy and chief scientist of Origin Quantum, told the Global Times. 

From the perspective of specific algorithm applications, as the complexity and data volume of AI models continue to increase, traditional computing architectures are gradually becoming unable to meet the demand for high-performance computing, according to Guo, who led a team of researchers to build China's first independent superconducting quantum computer manufacturing chain.

Expounding on the potency of quantum computing, Guo said it is like a rocket, whereas traditional computing is "a car," intelligent computing is equivalent to "a bullet train," and supercomputing "a plane."

Quantum computing has unique advantages in solving combined optimization problems and can help AI perform tasks such as more efficient path planning. For example, in traffic optimization, quantum AI can calculate the optimal path and traffic flow distribution in real time to reduce congestion, Guo said.

The NPC deputy has put forward several proposals to the third session of the 14th NPC, China's top legislature, which will open on Wednesday, aiming to foster a more dynamic homegrown quantum computing ecosystem bolstered by commercialization, talent, and deeper levels of innovative partnership between the education system and private sector to consolidate China's global lead in quantum computing over the long term.

A complete Chinese made superconducting quantum computer manufacturing chain includes the independent production of quantum computing chips, assembling of quantum computers, and developing a domestically produced operating system has been completed by Guo's team in the past years.

Wukong, a 72-qubit indigenous superconducting quantum chip, produced by China's first superconducting quantum computer chip assembly line, operated smoothly throughout 2024 on Origin Wukong, according to Origin Quantum.

Origin Wukong, China's independently developed third-generation superconducting quantum computer, has completed 340,000 quantum computing tasks for users from 139 countries and regions since it became operational on January 6 last year, according to Guo. 

In the meantime, global visits to Origin Wukong have surpassed 20 million, with users from the US, Russia, Japan and Canada being the most active ones.

In 2024, Origin Wukong also exported some of its computing power overseas, marking a first in China, highlighting initial market recognition of China's quantum computing power by international users, Guo noted.

In one of the latest developments in quantum science, Chinese scientists unveiled a superconducting quantum computer prototype named "Zuchongzhi 3.0" which features 105 qubits on Monday (Beijing Time), marking a new landmark in the global quantum computing race, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"Zuchongzhi 3.0" features 105 readable qubits and 182 couplers and processes quantum random circuit sampling tasks at a speed quadrillion times faster than the world's most powerful supercomputer and 1 million times faster than Google's latest results published in Nature in October 2024, according to Xinhua.

The quantum computer manufacturing chain connects sci-tech innovation at one end and new quality productive forces at the other end. The initial formation of the manufacturing chain, the sharp increase in global visits of Origin Wukong and its first export to overseas customers indicate the constantly expanding service scale of China's independent quantum computing, according to the NPC deputy.

China's independent quantum computers will have the opportunity to empower more key core areas, firing up new quality productive forces with strong momentum, said Guo.