A researcher presents superconducting quantum computing chips developed by Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Friday, December 17, 2021.
Future Publishing | Getty Images
This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, the international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open works to provide investors with quick information on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.
What you need to know today
Alphabet rose after Google announced a “breakthrough” quantum chip.
Shares of Google's parent company alphabet rose 6% on Tuesday A day after the company hailed its latest quantum computing chips as a “breakthrough.” Monday, alphabet She revealed her “Willow” chip, Google said it performed a calculation in less than five minutes that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years — that is, a 1 followed by 25 zeros.
The former South Korean Defense Minister attempts suicide. Police raid the presidential office
The fallout from South Korean President Yeon Suk-yeol's brief imposition of martial law continues amid reports His office was raided and his former Defense Minister attempted suicide. police It is said that I searched The President's Office on Wednesday as part of the investigation into the matter Declaring martial law for six hours. Separately, former Defense Minister Kim Young-hyun It is said that he made an attempt On his private life in a detention center east of Seoul.
China intensifies Wall Street meetings before Trump's inauguration
Chinese Vice Premier He Leveng He met many American financial executives Last month as Beijing seeks to build relationships ahead of President-elect Donald Trump Planned tariffs on China. Some meetings are held with senior executives from BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup.
The Dow Jones Index records its fourth straight day of losses
US markets fell On Tuesday as well Standard & Poor's 500 Lost 0.3% and Nasdaq Composite It fell by 0.25%, with both indices recording consecutive losses. the Dow Jones Industrial Average It fell for the fourth day, falling by 0.35%. Asian markets were mixedWith most major indicators remaining within a specified range.
(PRO) Trump's proposed tariffs could cause unintended consequences: Bernstein
Trump's proposed tariffs could do that It has unintended consequences For certain brands, negative sentiment among Chinese consumers can hurt U.S. companies' sales in that country, Bernstein found.
Bottom line
What is quantum computing, and how does it work?
In classical computing, information is stored in bits. Each bit is either one or zero. Quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, that can be zero, one, or something in between.
If you think this sounds like something from the Marvel multiverse, you're not alone. Every time a company hits a breakthrough in quantum computing, like Alphabet's Willow chip, the million-dollar question is: “What can it be used for?”
Will we see faster laptops, faster smartphones, or could quantum computing be used for AI applications? Will we be able to say, “Open the capsule bay doors please, Hal?” To a quantum computer?
Proponents of quantum computing claim that it will be able to solve problems that current computers cannot. The theory is that quantum computers will be able to process much larger amounts of data, leading to potential breakthroughs in fields such as medicine, science and finance.
Alphabet shares rose 6% on Tuesday, but could this enthusiasm be unfounded? After all, if there are no real uses for quantum computing right now, it's not possible to introduce a solution to solve the problems, let alone commercialize it.
In short, quantum computing must have a purpose. It needs “Instant ChatGPT”, as well One analyst told CNBCwhere people can benefit from technology such as how a chatbot has allowed the world to experience artificial intelligence in a tangible way.
Maybe HAL will have to wait for a while. Which, as fans of Stanley Kubrick's epic “2001: A Space Odyssey” might know, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
— CNBC's Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.
