The Quantum Computing Hackathon|Y> Quantum 2024 was launched on the global geek movement platform DoraHacks.io. This Hackathon is the first quantum computing hackathon organized by Yale University, and QuEra, IBM Quantum, Classiq, SandboxAQ, Quantinuum, DoraHacks, etc. have all released quantum computing bounty challenges.

IBM has unveiled its largest quantum computing processor yet, the 1,121-qubit "Condor" chip, which is considered the world's most advanced gate-based, superconducting, quantum system. The company also shared an updated roadmap and information on its future plans in the quantum computing space. While qubit count is not necessarily a measure of power or capability, IBM's focus is on error-correction and fault tolerance. The next major inflection point for IBM will occur in 2029 with the execution of "100 million gates over 200 qubits" with a processor called "Starling."

Yann LeCun, the boss of Meta AI, shared his thoughts on the current state of artificial intelligence and quantum computing during a recent event celebrating the 10th anniversary of Meta's Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) team. He expressed skepticism about quantum computing and its application to AI, stating that it is unlikely to happen in the next five years. LeCun also commented on Nvidia's dominance in the AI hardware industry and disagreed with the company's CEO's assertion that AI would be able to complete tests in a manner "fairly competitive" with humans in the next five years. Furthermore, LeCun explained that generative AI, which is cited as a potential spark for AGI, was not good enough and that text is a poor source of information.

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a spinout from Oxford University's physics department, has launched Toshiko, a 32-qubit quantum computing services platform, which it claims is the world's first enterprise-ready quantum computing platform. The launch was accompanied by a $100m Series B funding round led by Japan's SBI Group's investment arm. OQC is partnering with Equinix, NVIDIA, AWS and McKinsey to bring quantum computing out of the lab and pave the way for quantum advantage. The company has raised $143m to date, with both its Series A and Series B funding rounds representing the largest respective quantum computing start-up funding rounds in UK history.

IBM has installed a 127-qubit quantum computing system at the University of Tokyo, marking the arrival of the first "utility-scale" quantum system in the region. The system, called Quantum System One, will be used for research in various fields including bioinformatics, materials science, and finance. Meanwhile, Alibaba has decided to close its quantum computing laboratory and donate its equipment to Zhejiang University, citing cost-cutting measures and uncertainty caused by the US partial export ban on computer chips to China. The quantum computing sector is expected to grow by over $5.5 billion between 2023 and 2030, leading some experts to worry about the state of quantum computing research outside of the US and China.

Atom Computing, a startup, claims to be testing a 1,180 qubit quantum computer that could be available next year, outpacing giants like IBM and Google. They use neutral atoms as their go-to qubits, which promises both stability and the ability to scale up. However, the error rate for individual qubit operations is very high, making it impractical for complex calculations right now. Atom Computing expects to have solved this issue in the near future and is working towards a similar milestone as IBM's upcoming "Kookaburra" 1,386-qubit multichip processor set for a 2025 release.