Future of Quantum Computing: Predictions for 2025 & Beyond

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Quantum computing is moving forward quickly, and in 2025, we’re likely to see big changes that could impact various fields, including healthcare, finance, and technology.

As researchers and companies in the quantum computing industry work hard to improve quantum computer capabilities, we’ll see trends focused on making them faster, more powerful, and easier to use. These changes in the status of quantum computing could lead to exciting new breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, security, and medicine.

So, what is the future of quantum computing?

As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we ask experts to share their views on the future applications of quantum computing and its vast potential.

Key Takeaways

  • Investing in quantum computers could lead to a once-in-a-century leap forward, similar to how electricity changed the world.
  • The breakthrough announcement on quantum computing in 2025 may come from a government rather than a private company.
  • Cybersecurity trends will have to adapt in 2025 to address the growing threat posed by the advancements in quantum computing.
  • In 2025, businesses and governments will start adopting quantum-safe encryption to secure their data.
Table of Contents Table of Contents

Six Quantum Computing Predictions

Here are six predictions about the future of quantum computing in 2025.

1. Quantum Computing Will Gain Momentum

Highlights:

  • Significant progress in quantum hardware, software, and algorithms will drive increased R&D.
  • Adoption will be slower due to limited funding and a lack of understanding of what quantum computers can actually do.
  • In 2025, momentum will build, but broader adoption will depend on organizational readiness and proof-of-concept exploration.
  • Quantum technologies will emerge as potential solutions to practical problems, though traditional AI methods will still dominate for large-scale tasks.

Recent quantum computing progress has brought us closer to realizing its potential. However, to understand how quickly quantum computing might be adopted, we need to look at its usefulness, development stage, and current demand, says Srikumar Ramanathan, chief solutions officer at Mphasis.

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On the supply side, we can focus on growth in technology, ecosystems, and talent. For example, quantum-related technologies are starting to emerge as solutions to practical problems, he says. However, these technologies haven’t yet shown a clear advantage over traditional AI methods on a large scale.

“Despite significant strides in quantum hardware, software, and algorithms, scaling and achieving desired performance levels remain a work in progress,” Ramanathan says. “However, progress has been made in closing the talent gap, with a focus on developing quantum-enhanced workflows for practical applications.”

On the demand side, even though more people are becoming aware of quantum computing, businesses are still in the early stages of understanding how to use it, he says.

This challenge is made worse by limited funding, as most investments have been focused on traditional AI.

“Given these factors, quantum computing adoption will undoubtedly gain momentum in 2025, driven by heightened R&D activity across industries,” Ramanathan notes. “However, broader adoption that requires organizational readiness and proof-of-concept exploration will take time to fully materialize.”

2. The Quantum Leap: Industry Adoption & Standards

Highlights:

  • Post-quantum cryptographic standards, such as those certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will become more widely adopted.
  • Companies will begin integrating quantum-safe security measures into their systems.
  • Industry-wide adoption of post-quantum encryption will prompt significant changes in product development.

In 2025, there will be an uptick in mainstream awareness of quantum computing, and companies will start taking the looming post-quantum world more seriously, according to Robert Haist, chief information security officer at TeamViewer.

Haist told Techopedia:

“As the National Institute for Standards and Technology in the U.S. is already certifying post-quantum encryption methods for various applications, I expect these standards will be adopted throughout the industry, and companies will begin planning for how they’ll need to adapt their products.”

While tech giants have long been planning a post-quantum cryptographic protocol for secure messaging, e.g., Apple with the announcement of iMessage with PQ3 in 2024, smaller tech companies will now follow suit as well, Haist says.

“Although I think we’re still a minimum of five years away from ‘Q Day,’ when quantum computers finally break encryption algorithms—that could change quickly,” he explains.

“Consider ChatGPT and the drastic changes we’ve seen in AI over the past two years, very few predicted this mass adoption would happen as quickly as it did, and now you’d be hard-pressed to find a product or service that doesn’t incorporate it.”

3. Moving Beyond the Hype

Highlights:

  • Quantum computing will advance in hybrid systems, integrating quantum processing units (QPUs) with classical hardware like CPUs, GPUs, and LPUs.
  • Error correction and qubit improvements will enable more powerful quantum computers.
  • Quantum-enhanced workflows will gain traction in practical applications, such as machine learning, optimization, and quantum chemistry.

Quantum computing is set to make significant advancements in fixing errors and handling problems, which will allow more qubits (the basic units of quantum computers) to be used, according to Bill Wisotsky, principal technical architect at SAS.

This progress will continue to change the data and AI industries. The areas that stand to benefit the most include quantum machine learning, quantum optimization, as well as quantum chemistry and biology.

“Quantum computing will also advance in its hybrid development, with quantum processing units (QPUs) being further integrated with CPUs, GPUs, and LPUs,” he says. “And QPUs will be employed for specialized problem classes or formulations.”

Looking to the quantum computing future, investing in quantum computers could lead to once-in-a-century breakthroughs, similar to how electricity changed the world, according to Wisotsky.

“It will open up new solutions and advancements in science and physics that we’ve never seen before,” he adds.

4. A Big Year for Quantum Computing

Highlights:

  • The United Nations will proclaim 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
  • The US Department of Commerce will finalize post-quantum cryptographic standards.
  • This year will serve as a turning point, with quantum computing becoming more visible in global discussions.

So, is quantum computing the future of technology? Well, there are key signals that 2025 is going to be a big year for quantum computing, says Damian Mencini, senior cyber advisor at Morrison Foerster.

Mencini told Techopedia:

“This year, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology announced its post-quantum cryptographic standards designed to withstand quantum computing cyberattacks, indicating the threat may be around the corner.”

However, Mencini adds that while private industry is expected to continue to meet major milestones next year, the breakthrough announcement on quantum computing may come from a government rather than a company.

5. Quantum Computing in The Next Five Years

Highlights:

  • Businesses will start planning for the integration of quantum computing into their operations, especially for cybersecurity and encryption.
  • The technology will continue to evolve, with an emphasis on making quantum computers more stable and scalable.
  • Fault-tolerant quantum computers, which will offer more reliable and accurate results, will remain a focus beyond 2025.

In the next five years, technology is expected to evolve rapidly, reshaping industries and our everyday lives, says John Prisco, CEO of Safe Quantum. And advancements in quantum computing will fuel data-driven insights across sectors, including in the healthcare industry, finance, government agencies, data centers, and beyond.

Quantum computing isn’t mainstream yet, but it’s improving and expected to bring big changes to cybersecurity and data encryption, he says. Today’s encryption relies on complex math, but quantum computers could eventually break these methods. However, this isn’t expected to happen in 2025.

“Error correction is missing from today’s qubits,” Prisco says. “There is a big difference between today’s qubits and logical qubits that have error correction built in. 2025 we will see a focus on fault-tolerant quantum computers, but it will take us into the end of the decade before true fault tolerance is perfected. “

6. Post-Quantum Computing: The Next Security Frontier

Highlights:

  • Quantum-safe encryption, including quantum key distribution and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), will become crucial for data security.
  • Governments and businesses will invest in securing their data with encryption methods that are resistant to quantum computing attacks.
  • Industries dealing with sensitive information, like banking and healthcare, will lead the transition to quantum-resistant technology.

Although full mainstream adoption of quantum computing may still be some years away, Prisco says it promises to bring new opportunities but also poses new security challenges.

According to Prisco, cybersecurity trends will have to adapt in 2025 primarily to address the growing threat posed by advancements in quantum computing. Organizations must adopt more robust encryption strategies to keep sensitive information secure.

“2025 will likely see a strong focus on quantum-safe security measures with companies turning to post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution as a hybrid defense to ensure their data is protected from advanced hackers,” he adds.

Avishai Sharlin, division president, product and network, Amdocs, says that in 2025, post-quantum computing (PQC) will take a big step forward as businesses and governments start adopting quantum-safe encryption to secure their data.

“With the National Institute of Standards and Technology having finalized the key algorithms needed for PQC, companies will soon be integrating these into their security systems,” he says. “The move will also require updates like Java 21+, which is essential for managing quantum-safe encryption keys.”

For industries that deal with sensitive information, transitioning to quantum-resistant tech will be critical in staying ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats, he adds.

Steven Karan, head of insights and data, Capgemini Canada, agrees with Sharlin’s assessment.

Karan told Techopedia:

“While quantum computing is still in the infancy stages and is not expected to become mainstream in 2025, the opportunities and challenges posed by the technology is something I expect business to ramp up planning for in the new year.”

Specifically, businesses that maintain secure infrastructure, such as banking, insurance, and healthcare, should start developing plans and risk mitigation strategies for quantum computing, according to Karan.

The Bottom Line

Quantum computing is set to grow quickly in 2025 and beyond, changing such fields as healthcare, finance, and security. This quantum technology future could bring us super-fast computers and amazing new discoveries.

As technology improves, we can expect faster computers, better solutions to tough problems, and more efficient ways to process information.

While there are still challenges, such as ensuring the technology is stable and scalable, quantum computing has the potential to change the way we tackle complex problems. With ongoing research and innovation, the quantum computing future scope looks promising.

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Linda Rosencrance
Technology Journalist
Linda Rosencrance
Technology Journalist

Linda Rosencrance is a freelance writer and editor based in the Boston area, with expertise ranging from AI and machine learning to cybersecurity and DevOps. She has been covering IT topics since 1999 as an investigative reporter working for several newspapers in the Boston metro area. Before joining Techopedia in 2022, her articles have appeared in TechTarget, MSDynamicsworld.com, TechBeacon, IoT World Today, Computerworld, CIO magazine, and many other publications. She also writes white papers, case studies, ebooks, and blog posts for many corporate clients, interviewing key players, including CIOs, CISOs, and other C-suite execs.