Google Claims Quantum Breakthrough with Algorithm Outperforming Supercomputers

Google has announced a major milestone in quantum computing, unveiling an algorithm that completed a molecular computation faster than any known classical supercomputer.

The company said the algorithm, developed by its Quantum AI division, marks the first time a verifiable quantum computation has surpassed traditional machines.

«This repeatable, beyond-classical computation is the basis for scalable verification, bringing quantum computers closer to practical applications,» Google said in a statement.

According to Nobel laureate Michel Devoret, Google’s chief quantum scientist, the result represents «a new step towards full-scale quantum computation.» Published in Nature, the peer-reviewed study reports that Google’s quantum computer ran the algorithm 13,000 times faster than conventional systems when modeling molecular structures.

Experts welcomed the achievement as a sign of progress toward «quantum advantage» but cautioned that fully fault-tolerant quantum computers, requiring hundreds of thousands or even millions of qubits, remain years away.

Google vice-president Hartmut Neven said that real-world applications could emerge within five years, from advanced materials science to AI enhancement.

Quantum computing’s rapid development has also reignited cybersecurity concerns, as future systems could one day break existing encryption methods, prompting urgent calls for «quantum-safe» data protection worldwide.