From the files of the potentially scary while potentially exciting comes news of Google’s venture into what may or may not be quantum computing using technology from D-Wave company who may or may not be marketing the technology that they claim to be.
There’s a lot of coverage out there already, but I just find it interesting where a lot of the commentary is putting out comparisons of this implementation of maybe or maybe not quantum computing to neural networks. If this connection is realized further, it would support some hunches that I have had for some time. On the other hand it it creates a computer that is too brain like, we probably will have a good idea as to how an actual implementation of a Skynet like system may or may not differ from its portrayal in fiction. Hopefully it will be more concerned with why the Google team used such elementary school-type branding on its predecessors than having the world all to itself.
Considering especially the application of this new technology towards image recognition, a task at which people tend to perform very well, the nature of this technology as possibly more of a cousin to cognition than earlier computing technologies sounds rather possible. Considering also on the other hand the difficulties associated with building quantum computers in academic environments and the consideration offered in other commentaries on D-Wave that its products are likely frauds, jokes, or some form of joke there is the possibility that the Google team is working on its most elaborate April fools day project yet.
