The Case Against Quantum Computing

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
11,521
There is nothing close to AI currently, despite all the hype. And Quantum computers can handle problems of only a small number of bits. There is certainly nothing to worry about in my lifetime.

Edit: Now, if I was basing retirement on bitcoin, I would be worried about quantum computing.
 

Thread Starter

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,329
I am far more concerned about other people's stupidity, mostly those in government. I am not the one trying to pry the lid off of Pandora's Box.
No all was bad in the box.
However, Zeus did not realize that hope had been secretly added to the box by Promethesus. When Pandora opened the box and released trouble and woe into the world, hope was there to help people survive.
Without Hope there is only time and waiting for the end of our time.
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,707
Consider what would happen when the A.I. super-fast computer becomes "self aware" and decides that it is so much smarter than humans that it should be in charge. The very stuff of science-fiction horror movies suddenly becoming real. I already have to deal with the computer in the car believing that I leave the parking lights on by accident.
That's a very good point. My car has some unusual 'features' like that too.
The problem is that the designer did not realize what could go wrong, and that's going to happen with AI (ai) too. I do not see any way around this. Designers do not see into the future; they just can predict some things not all things. That means if something comes up they didn't think of, it could be too hard to fix. I'd hate to think that at some point the military would have to step in and nuke an entire city just to get rid of the AI, if that is even still possible at that point and the AI is not able to stop it.

I can't help but think we are really talking about a mass extinction event. With AI combined with Quantum computers there is no way to predict what will happen, and even if we took steps to avoid this, the AI may find a way around it that we just didn't think of.

Maybe we have to hope that none of this newer technology works out. Maybe that is why we did not contact alien life yet, they made the same mistake.
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,707
There is nothing close to AI currently, despite all the hype. And Quantum computers can handle problems of only a small number of bits. There is certainly nothing to worry about in my lifetime.

Edit: Now, if I was basing retirement on bitcoin, I would be worried about quantum computing.
That's also a good point.

Yesterday I ran across an article I found in 2018 that said that there was going to be a battery for EV's that can charge in under 5 minutes. I don't see one yet and it's 6 years later.
 

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
11,521
That's also a good point.

Yesterday I ran across an article I found in 2018 that said that there was going to be a battery for EV's that can charge in under 5 minutes. I don't see one yet and it's 6 years later.
Nor a fusion reactor that produces energy after you calculate the inout, nor a quantum computer that can do anything useful. And don’t expect them after another six years.
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,707
Coincidentally, I just read this.
The wording of the title for that is very interesting. In particular, the word "says".
Now why would anyone use that word in that context. It's because they do not have proof of anything that was said, at least not yet.
If it does work, that would be great, but I wouldn't want to be standing near it at the time it was charging :)

20 minutes isn't that bad (Tesla according to that article). That must be some hefty current flowing there.
 

Thread Starter

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,329
Hefty current and really high peak energy levels that would require major, expensive, electrical infrastructure upgrades if widely deployed.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
27,547
There have really been quite a few articles about a number of different technologies that all "promise to be game changers" for both electric vehicles and also utilities. Yes, even back before 2018!
Of course there is a very difficult path between a graduate student's laboratory creation and a viable product on the market. Aside from those unanticipated technical issues is always that huge obstacle of gaining the financing needed to make it into an actual product. That requires both skill in presentation and a great deal of luck in finding a backer with adequate resources and willing to risk an investment of quite a bit.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
27,547
The fact still exists that there are folks very happy to take your money in exchange for the latest "snake oil", and those folks seem to be unable to see the difference between truth and lies. And please notice that I am neither naming names nor pointing fingers.
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
6,305
She started on the right track: taxpayer funding of questionable technologies.

Then she segued into the "evils" of private funding by VCs and shareholders of publicly held corporations.

I am for the latter and heavily against the former.

As far as the evil of private funding? Like all other private financial transactions, caveat emptor.


It is a sin to let a fool keep his money.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
27,547
"Could be the Breakthrough" could also be tearing the lid off of Pandora's Box", to use an old analogy.
Consider that we are now, already, getting AI operated phone calls to RIP US OFF selling fake Medicare benefits. AI will certainly be useful to the bad actors in fraudulent dealings. And this is only the beginning of the disaster.
So at the very least there needs to be in place a great deal of regulation on the use of AI.
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,707
"Could be the Breakthrough" could also be tearing the lid off of Pandora's Box", to use an old analogy.
Consider that we are now, already, getting AI operated phone calls to RIP US OFF selling fake Medicare benefits. AI will certainly be useful to the bad actors in fraudulent dealings. And this is only the beginning of the disaster.
So at the very least there needs to be in place a great deal of regulation on the use of AI.
I just learned yesterday that the governor of New Jersey is looking into 'ai' to figure out what needs to be done and I guess what needs to be restricted. I think he started a task force already.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
27,547
Consider that the bad actors seem to be already using it for scamming folks. And just consider the fake photos that have already been produced and circulated. How will we ever be able to know what is true and what is not?? The situation can easily turn into something much worse than a bad LSD experience, as far as what looks real goes.
Like the old Jefferson Airplane song goes: "When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy Dead, and the White Knight is talking backward, and the Red Queen's "Off with their head" ".
 
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