Microsoft has joined forces with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to devise a groundbreaking method for creating batteries flaunting a drastic 70% reduction in lithium content compared to contemporary alternatives.
AI Revolutionizes Scientific Discovery
The collaboration exemplifies the transformative potential of merging cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) with next-generation cloud computing to overhaul the pace of scientific breakthroughs, particularly in domains vital for combatting global energy and sustainability quandaries.
The entire process harnessed the power of AI, specifically leveraging Microsoft’s Azure Quantum Elements. The AI algorithms proposed a staggering 32 million candidates, eventually sieved through based on stability, reactivity, and capability to conduct energy.
AI whittled down the candidates to around 500,000, then subjected them to further filtration using high-performance computing (HPC) to ensure heightened accuracy. HPC subsequently affirmed the stability and practicality of the materials.
The fusion of AI and HPC has vastly accelerated the pursuit of discovering new materials, ultimately allowing researchers to pinpoint 23 promising material candidates within a mere 80 hours.
This novel material, incorporating both lithium and sodium, could potentially slash lithium content by up to 70%, addressing concerns regarding the scarcity and environmental impact of lithium-ion batteries.
The AI-HPC amalgamation not only slashed computing time but also provided accessibility and flexibility, circumventing the limitations of shared supercomputers.
Scaling New Frontiers
Quantum computer stocks signify companies endeavoring to revolutionize cryptography, optimization, drug discovery, and AI. This technological advance holds promise for tackling complex problems currently unfeasible for classical computers due to their exponential time requirements. Microsoft is intensively advancing in the quantum computing realm. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company offers Azure Quantum as a cloud service, enabling users to fabricate and refine quantum algorithms. Azure Quantum aspires for scalability toward realizing a general-purpose quantum computer. In line with this, Azure Quantum applications are tailored to empower quantum chemists and scientists in their research endeavors.
The company is also striving to develop higher-level applications, focusing on creating reliable qubits that can remain error-free. The longer a qubit stays stable, the more complex applications it can execute.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 revenues stands at $242.341 billion, indicating a robust 14.3% growth from fiscal 2023. The consensus estimate for fiscal 2024 earnings is projected at $11.14 per share, reflecting a solid 13.5% surge from the actual figure in the previous year.
NVIDIA initiated the first graphic processing unit-accelerated quantum computing program in 2023, positioning itself at the vanguard of quantum computing innovation. The platform enables researchers to develop applications combining quantum and classical computing. Collaborating with quantum computer manufacturer IQM, NVDA is striving to build future hybrid quantum applications. Moreover, the company is working with Terra Quantum, a software enterprise, to enhance data analytics via hybrid quantum computing, delivering superior performance.
Amazon is venturing into the quantum computing arena through Amazon Web Services, a comprehensive cloud service boasting over 200 fully featured services, bolstered by data centers globally. Amazon Braket, the company’s fully managed quantum computing service, empowers users to craft, test, run, and analyze quantum algorithms.
International Business Machines (IBM) has bolstered its focus on AI and machine learning applications, wielding the IBM Quantum Network to collaborate with over 250 Fortune 500 firms, universities, labs, and startups. The network not only nurtures partnerships but also offers exclusive access to meetings and channels. IBM recently introduced the IBM Quantum Heron, marking the inauguration of a new series of utility-scale quantum processors. Engineered over four years, it touts IBM’s supreme performance metrics and lowest error rates among its quantum processors. Notably, IBM unveiled the Quantum System Two, its maiden modular quantum computer, operational with three IBM Heron processors and associated control electronics, signifying a remarkable stride in IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing architecture.
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Source: Zacks Investment Research
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