Quantum computing

Breakthrough method links AI with mathematics and physics

Researchers have introduced a new AI-driven method that could help solve long-standing mathematical problems in fluid dynamics, physics, and engineering. The study examines unstable singularities, where equations fail and predict impossible results like infinite pressure or velocity.

Using Physics-Informed Neural Networks, the team discovered new unstable singularities across three fluid equations, including the Navier–Stokes system. Their findings reveal emerging patterns that could point to even more elusive solutions, advancing understanding of fluid motion.

The method combines deep mathematical knowledge with machine learning techniques, enabling precision at levels previously unattainable. For example, researchers reduced computational errors to a scale comparable with measuring the Earth’s diameter within just a few centimetres.

Such accuracy is essential for building reliable computer-assisted proofs in mathematics.

The study, carried out with mathematicians and geophysicists from leading universities, signals a shift in mathematical research. By embedding physics directly into neural networks, the approach transforms AI into a discovery tool that may reshape how complex equations are tackled in the years ahead.

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UK and USA sign technology prosperity deal

The UK and the USA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the technology prosperity deal. The aim is to facilitate collaboration on joint opportunities of mutual interest across strategic science and technology areas, including AI, civil energy, and quantum technologies.

The two countries intend to collaborate on building powerful AI infrastructure, expanding access to computing for researchers, and developing high-impact datasets.

Key focus areas include joint flagship research programs in priority domains such as biotechnology, precision medicine, and fusion energy, supported by leading science agencies from both the UK and the USA.

The partnership will also explore AI applications in space, foster secure infrastructure and hardware innovation, and promote AI exports. Efforts will be made to align AI policy frameworks, support workforce development, and ensure broad public benefit.

The US Center for AI Standards and Innovation and the UK AI Security Institute will work together to advance AI safety, model evaluation, and global standards through shared expertise and talent exchange.

Additionally, the deal aims to fast-track breakthrough technologies, streamline regulation, secure supply chains, and outpace strategic competitors.

In the nuclear sector, the countries plan joint efforts in advanced reactors, next-generation fuels, and fusion energy, while upholding the highest standards of safety and non-proliferation.

Lastly, the deal aims to develop powerful machines with real-world applications in defence, healthcare, and logistics, while prioritising research security, cyber resilience, and protection of critical infrastructure.

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UK partners with NVIDIA to drive AI growth and new jobs

NVIDIA and the UK are accelerating plans to build the nation’s AI infrastructure, positioning the country as a hub for AI innovation, jobs and research.

The partnership, announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang earlier in the year, has already resulted in commitments worth up to £11 billion.

A rollout that includes AI factories equipped with 120,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs across UK data centres, supporting projects such as OpenAI’s Stargate UK.

NVIDIA partner Nscale will host 60,000 of these GPUs domestically while expanding its global capacity to 300,000. Microsoft, CoreWeave and other partners are also investing in advanced supercomputing facilities, with new projects announced in England and Scotland.

NVIDIA is working with Oxford Quantum Circuits and other research institutions to integrate AI and quantum technologies in a collaboration that extends to quantum computing.

Universities in Edinburgh and Oxford are advancing GPU-driven quantum error correction and AI-controlled quantum hardware, highlighting the UK’s growing role in cutting-edge science.

To prepare the workforce, NVIDIA has joined forces with techUK and QA to provide training programmes and AI skills development.

The government has framed the initiative as a foundation for economic resilience, job creation and sovereign AI capability, aiming to place Britain at the forefront of the AI industrial revolution.

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First quantum-AI data centre launched in New York City

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and Digital Realty have launched the first quantum-AI data centre in New York City at the JFK10 facility, powered by Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The project combines superconducting quantum computers with AI supercomputing under one roof.

OQC’s GENESIS quantum computer is the first to be deployed in a New York data centre, designed to support hybrid workloads and enterprise adoption. Future GENESIS systems will ship with Nvidia accelerated computing and CUDA-Q integration as standard.

OQC CEO Gerald Mullally said the centre will drive the AI revolution securely and at scale, strengthening the UK–US technology alliance. Digital Realty CEO Andy Power called it a milestone for making quantum-AI accessible to enterprises and governments.

UK Science Minister Patrick Vallance highlighted the £212 billion economic potential of quantum by 2045, citing applications from drug discovery to clean energy. He said the launch puts British innovation at the heart of next-generation computing.

The centre, embedded in Digital Realty’s PlatformDIGITAL, will support applications in finance, security, and AI, including quantum machine learning and accelerated model training. OQC Chair Jack Boyer said it demonstrates UK–US collaboration in leading frontier technologies.

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Quantum breakthroughs could threaten Bitcoin in the 2030s

The rise of quantum computing is sparking fresh concerns over the long-term security of Bitcoin. Unlike classical systems, quantum machines could eventually break the cryptography protecting digital assets.

Experts warn that Shor’s algorithm, once run on a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, could recover private keys from public ones in hours, leaving exposed funds vulnerable. Analysts see the mid-to-late 2030s as the key period for cryptographically relevant breakthroughs.

ChatGPT-5’s probability model indicates less than a 5% chance of Bitcoin being cracked before 2030, but risk rises to 45–60% between 2035 and 2039, and nearly certainty by 2050. Sudden progress in large-scale, fault-tolerant qubits or government directives could accelerate the timeline.

Mitigation strategies include avoiding key reuse, auditing exposed addresses, and gradually shifting to post-quantum or hybrid cryptographic solutions. Experts suggest that critical migrations should be completed by the mid-2030s to secure the Bitcoin network against future quantum threats.

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Google Quantum AI selected for DARPA quantum benchmarking initiative

Google Quantum AI has been selected by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to participate in the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). QBI is designed to assess quantum computing approaches and judge whether utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers could be developed by 2033.

The selection means Google will work with DARPA’s technical experts, who will be independent validators for its quantum computing roadmap. The evaluation aims to provide rigorous third-party benchmarking, a critical capability for the broader quantum industry.

DARPA’s QBI is not only about validation. It aims to compare different quantum technologies, superconducting qubits, photonic systems, trapped ions and other modalities under shared metrics.

Google’s involvement underscores its ongoing mission to build quantum infrastructure capable of addressing problems such as new medicine design, energy innovation and machine-learning optimisation.

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2025 State of the Union: Tech sovereignty amid geopolitical pressure

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered her 2025 State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The speech set out priorities for the coming year and was framed by growing geopolitical tensions and the push for a more self-reliant Europe.

Von der Leyen highlighted that global dynamics have shifted.

‘Battlelines for a new world order based on power are being drawn right now, ’ she said.

In this context, Europe must take a more assertive role in defending its own security and advancing the technologies that will underpin its economic future. The President characterised this moment as a turning point for European independence.

Digital policy appeared less prominently than expected in the address. Von der Leyen often referred to ‘technology sovereignty’ to encompass not only digital technologies, but also other types of technologies necessary for the green transition and to achieve energetic autonomy. In spite of that, some specific references to digital policy are worth highlighting.

  • Europe’s right to regulate. Von der Leyen defended Europe’s right to set its own standards and regulations. The assertion came right after her defence of the US-EU trade deal, making it a direct response to the mounting pressure and tariff threats from the US President Donald Trump’s administration.
  • Regulatory simplification. A specific regulatory package (omnibus) on digital was promised, under inspiration from the Draghi report on EU competitiveness. 
  • Investment in digital technology. Startups in key areas, such as quantum and AI, could receive particular attention, in order to enhance the availability of European capital and strengthen European sovereignty in these areas. According to her, the Commission ‘will partner with private investors on a multi-billion euro Scaleup Europe Fund’. No concrete figures were provided, however.
  • Artificial intelligence as key to European independence. In order to support this sector, von der Leyen highlighted the importance of some initiatives, such as the Cloud and AI Development Act, and the European AI Gigafactories. She praised the commitment of CEOs from some leading European companies to invest in digital in the recently launched AI and Tech Declaration. 
  • Mainstreaming information integrity. According to von der Leyen, Europe’s democracy is under attack, with the rise of information manipulation and disinformation. She proposed to create a new European Centre for Democratic Resilience, which will bring together all the expertise and capacity across member states and neighbouring countries. A new Media Resilience Programme aimed at supporting independent journalism and media literacy was also announced.
  • Limits to the use of social media by young people. The President of the Commission raised concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health and safety. She committed to convening a panel of experts to consider restrictions for social media access, referencing efforts that have been put in place in Australia.  

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Superconducting qubits power Stanford’s quantum router advance

Quantum computers could become more efficient with a new quantum router that directs data more quickly within machines. Researchers at Stanford have built the component, which could eventually form the backbone of quantum random access memory (QRAM).

The router utilises superconducting qubits, controlled by electromagnetic pulses, to transmit information to quantum addresses. Unlike classical routers, it can encode addresses in superposition, allowing data to be stored in two places simultaneously.

In tests with three qubits, the router achieved a fidelity of around 95%. If integrated into QRAM, it could unlock new algorithms by placing information into quantum states where locations remain indeterminate.

Experts say the advance could benefit areas such as quantum machine learning and database searches. It may also support future ideas, such as quantum IP addresses, although more reliable designs with larger qubit counts are still required.

The Stanford team acknowledges the device needs refinement to reduce errors. But with further development, the quantum router could be a vital step toward practical QRAM and more powerful quantum computing applications.

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Quantum-proof cryptography emerges as key test for stablecoins

Stablecoins have become central to the digital economy, with billions in daily transactions and stronger regulatory backing under the GENIUS Act. Yet experts warn that advances in quantum computing could undermine their very foundations.

Elliptic curve and RSA cryptography, widely used in stablecoin systems, are expected to be breakable once ‘Q-Day’ arrives. Quantum-equipped attackers could instantly derive private keys from public addresses, exposing entire networks to theft.

The immutability of blockchains makes upgrading cryptographic schemes especially challenging. Dormant wallets and legacy addresses may prove vulnerable, putting billions of dollars at risk if issuers fail to take action promptly.

Researchers highlight lattice-based and hash-based algorithms as viable ‘quantum-safe’ alternatives. Stablecoins built with crypto-agility, enabling seamless upgrades, will better adapt to new standards and avoid disruptive forks.

Regulators are also moving. NIST is finalising post-quantum cryptographic standards, and new rules will likely be established before 2030. Stablecoins that embed resilience today may set the global benchmark for digital trust in the quantum age.

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Trilateral quantum talks highlight innovation and security priorities

The United States, Japan, and South Korea held two Trilateral Quantum Cooperation meetings this week in Seoul and Tokyo. Officials and experts from government and industry gathered to discuss securing quantum ecosystems against cyber, physical, and intellectual property threats.

The US State Department stressed that joint efforts will ensure breakthroughs in quantum computing benefit citizens while safeguarding innovation. Officials said cooperation is essential as quantum technologies could reshape industries, global power balances, and economic prosperity.

The President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, described the partnership as entering a ‘golden era’, noting that Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo must work together both to address North Korea and to drive technological progress.

The talks come as Paul Dabbar, the former CEO of Bohr Quantum Technology, begins his role as US Deputy Secretary of Commerce. Dabbar brings experience in deploying emerging quantum network technologies to the new trilateral framework.

North Korea has also signalled interest in quantum computing for economic development. Analysts note that quantum’s lower energy demand compared to supercomputers could appeal to a country plagued by chronic power shortages.

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