I’m going to pause publishing here at nels.ai next week as we close out 2025. Things in the quantum space were relentless in terms of announcements.
What am I watching closely in 2026? Here are three things that I think will play out. First, major use case announcements that claim quantum advantage or supremacy for specific algorithms are starting to shift from theory toward accountability. Second, geopolitical arguments about where the quantum ecosystem will be built are hardening into policy and capital allocation decisions. Third, large system demonstrations, especially headline qubit counts, are going to introduce us to some 1,000+ qubit systems.
Things to consider:
Pauses improve synthesis more than constant publishing improves insight.
Quantum announcements are entering an era where claims will increasingly need verification.
Geopolitics is becoming a first-order variable in technical roadmaps.
Scale metrics matter less without corresponding control and error context.
Thanks for being here and I hope you have a great 2026!
