(This is an expanded version of a comment I made, which I've linked above.)
Well, seems the tech industry’s prepared to pivot to quantum if and when AI finally dies and goes away forever. If and when the hucksters get around to inflating the quantum bubble, I expect they’re gonna find themselves facing some degree of public resistance - probably not to the extent of what AI received, but still enough to give the hucksters some trouble.
The Encryption Issue
One of quantum’s big selling points is its purported ability to break the current encryption algorithms in use today - for a couple examples, Shor’s algorithm can reportedly double-tap public key cryptography schemes such as RSA, and Grover’s algorithm promises to supercharge brute-force attacks on symmetric-key cryptography.
Given this, I fully expect its supposed encryption-breaking abilities to stoke outcry and resistance from privacy rights groups. Even as a hypothetical, the possibility of such power falling into government hands is one that all-but guarantees Nineteen Eighty-Four levels of mass surveillance and invasion of privacy if it comes to pass.
Additionally, I expect post-quantum encryption will earn a lot of attention during the bubble as well, to pre-emptively undermine such attempts at mass surveillance.
Environmental Concerns
Much like with AI, info on how much power quantum computing requires is pretty scarce (though that’s because they more-or-less don’t exist, not because AI corps are actively hiding/juicing the numbers).
The only concrete number I could find came from IEEE Spectrum, which puts the power consumption of the D-Wave 2X (from 2015) at “slightly less than 25 kilowatts”, with practically all the power going to the refrigeration unit keeping it within a hair’s breadth of absolute zero, and the processor itself using “a tiny fraction of a microwatt”.
Given the minimal amount of info, and the AI bubble still being fresh in the public’s mind, I expect quantum systems will face resistance from environmental groups. Between the obscene power/water consumption of AI datacentres, the shitload of pollution said datacentres cause in places like Memphis, and the industry’s attempts to increase said consumption whenever possible, any notion that tech cares about the environment is dead in the (polluted) water, and attempts to sell the tech as energy efficient/environmentally friendly will likely fall on deaf ears.
I feel slightly better about my Pepsi addiction now.
Considering AI supporters' are too artistically blind to tell quality work from slop, I'm gonna chalk that up to them genuinely believing its the best thing since sliced bread.
Damn right, David. Here's to hoping the ordinary people don't forget who the AI pushers were once winter sets in.