Jensen Huang Announces that Nvidia is Set to Launch Quantum Computing Lab

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced that the company will open a quantum computing research lab in Boston, where it plans to collaborate with scientists from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Huang made the announcement at Nvidia's annual software developer conference in San Jose, California, where the company hosted a day of events focused on quantum computing.

Nvidia added the program after Huang said in January that useful quantum computers are 20 years away, which he attempted to retract on Thursday while joined onstage by executives from quantum computing firms.

"This is the first event in history where a company CEO invites all of the guests to explain why he was wrong," Huang added.

The Nvidia Accelerated Quantum Research Center, or NVAQC for short, will collaborate with quantum firms such as Quantinuum, Quantum Machines, and QuEra Computing. Nvidia said the center will open later this year.

Huang discussed the state of the industry with executives from over a dozen companies, some of which are attempting to profit from quantum technology before it outperforms existing computers.

Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion, stated that the company can already provide better computing clocks that aid in the synchronization of multiple classical computing chips.

"We're following a tried and true monetization and market development strategy of monetizing those areas where we actually have true quantum advantage today," Kinsella stated.

The quantum executives said that even when their machines outpace Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) at certain tasks such as understanding how atoms interact with one another, quantum machines will not replace traditional computers.

"We use your GPUs to design our chips," said Peter Chapman, CEO of IonQ. "It's going to be a classical system sitting next to a quantum computer, going back and forth...I wouldn't short any Nvidia stock at the end of this."