By Haddon Libby
Tomorrow is here thanks in part to the emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI).
Something that will be akin to unlocking the secrets of the Universe comes with Quantum Computing. What makes quantum computing much more powerful than what we know today is in the way it operates. The super computers that we use today are essentially really fast calculators coded in a language that is a series of ones and zeroes. Quantum computing uses qubits instead of the ones and zeroes. Think of qubits as a series of small compasses that are spinning and both a one and a zero. Where the best supercomputer of today might take 20 years to solve some of the most complex of problems, the quantum computer will be able to solve the problem in one minute.
Just think of the scientific advancements that come from such speed when combined with GenAI.
A less obvious area where we should see titanic changes is in education. The way we learn today has not changed much since the founding of our country. Expectations here are that each student will be taught at their own pace. Where a student needs help, specialists will be brought in to help on that topic or learning challenge. All along the way, GenAI will keep track of areas where the student is more attentive or a faster learner as well. By fostering areas where the student shows an interest and proficiency, it is thought that education will help prepare us for the jobs and interests where we would be happiest and most successful.
Jim Ricotta of Aliro Quantum believes that the internet that we know of today will be a thing of the past by the end of this decade and replaced with the quantum internet. The quantum internet is a network of quantum computer clusters. By locating these computers near each other, the speed of the cluster increases exponentially. A simple benefit of this is that it makes activity unhackable due to the laws of physics that prevent someone one mile or 10,000 miles away from pretending they are you.
The security of the quantum internet is critical to the efforts of the United States and other countries in creating a Central Bank digital currency (CBDC). For those of us who use instant money transfer systems like Zelle, this change will not be significant. These advances will be most useful for the unbanked. For the Central Banks, it will be critical in fighting financial frauds, theft and illegal activity. It is expected that CBDCs will begin debuting in countries around the world over the next three to five years.
Anyone who lives in California knows that we have a fragile electrical system in need of a complete rebuild. That government has been incenting people to plug their EVs into an already overtaxed electric grid shows the disconnect between our laws and legislators. People plug their cars into the grid just as solar power is done for the day causing brown-out around the state during the summer. GenAI will help in the development of flexible energy grids that are more efficient and capable of storing energy generated by a solar panel for use at night.
Rather than using expensive and toxic lithium batteries, scientists are finding that they can use something that we have in plenty of abundance here in the Coachella Valley – sand. By storing the energy in sand, electricity can be extracted at night. It is expected that GenAI will help with advancements in this form of low-cost energy storage. By storing these clean energies more easily, our reliance on fossil fuels will decrease.
If these advancements are enough to convince you that are entering Tomorrowland now, how about self-healing concrete? Researchers are close to being able to help large cracks in structures and streets by adding types of bacteria and other compounds into concrete so that any cracks are fixed without human intervention.
Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management, a locally-based RIA firm. For more information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.
