IBM has announced a major breakthrough in quantum computing, with AMD playing a key role. Instead of specialized quantum systems, the company used regular FPGA chips to run a Quantum Error Correction (QEC) algorithm, doing so ten times faster than expected.
According to Reuters, IBM researchers ran their own QEC algorithm on an FPGA from AMD (formerly Xilinx). IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta noted that the experiment proved the practical viability of their approach: "Our algorithm works not only in theory, but also on readily available AMD chips that are inexpensive."
The result is important because it shows that classical components can perform tasks previously only available to quantum equipment. In quantum systems, data is stored in qubits—extremely unstable units of information susceptible to any environmental fluctuations. QEC algorithms allow errors to be found and corrected without destroying the state of the qubit, which is critical for reliable calculations.
AMD's FPGA chips are suitable for such tasks due to their flexibility and minimal latency, making them ideal for feedback in quantum systems. NVIDIA is also developing in this area through the DGX Quantum project with the CUDA-Q platform, but its solutions do not use FPGAs, giving AMD an advantage: it was the first to run a QEC algorithm on mass-produced equipment without quantum components.
An additional advantage was AMD's acquisition of Xilinx, a leader in FPGA manufacturing. This merger was a decisive factor in the success of the IBM experiment. While the industry's attention is focused on AI, IBM and AMD are demonstrating that the next technological revolution may begin with simple and affordable microchips.
