All of us in business are mired in our day-to-day challenges. Because of this, anything not of immediate concern becomes a “tomorrow problem.” Yet, if we’re not on the lookout for what comes next, we’re often caught flat-footed.
A case in point is GenAI, which took the world by storm with the initial release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Companies everywhere scrambled to separate the hope from the hype and figure out the most viable use case(s) for their business. Many were unprepared from both a strategic and tactical perspective.
With that in mind, let’s take an early look at a potential next-generation industry disruptor: quantum computing. While the tech is still transitioning from concept to reality, quantum computing promises to not just be a tomorrow problem, but a tomorrow opportunity for e-commerce.
What is quantum computing?
Quantum computing is a developing technology that uses the laws of quantum mechanics to rapidly solve problems that are too complex for classical and supercomputers.
In classical computing, the most basic unit of data, a bit, can either represent 1 or 0. In quantum computing, a quantum bit, known as a qubit, can represent 1, 0, or 1 and 0 simultaneously—a state known as superposition. The superposition of qubits is connected to another natural phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, which means the states of qubits are intertwined and a change in one will affect the other regardless of the distance between them.
Quantum computing takes advantage of a quirk of the natural world. At the atomic and sub-atomic level, particles and the ways they behave are just plain weird. Because of this, quantum computers are built using completely different architectures and materials than traditional computers. For the sake of this article, however, we’ll focus on how quantum computers work, rather than how they are built.
Quantum computing would be the stuff of science fiction, except that it represents an important concept in modern physics that was first posited 60 years ago. These sub-atomic states allow quantum computers to run computations in parallel which gives them certain advantages over classical computers.
Suffice it to say, quantum computers are magnitudes faster than classical computers at running complex computational tasks. How much faster? Well, in 2023, Google researchers claimed that a mathematical problem that would take the fastest existing supercomputer 47 years to complete was solved by their Sycamore quantum processor in six seconds.
Quantum computing and e-commerce
By no means will quantum computers replace traditional computing power for all the tasks associated with digital commerce. For many use cases, the potential upside versus cost won’t be enough for many SaaS technology providers to make the change. As noted, quantum computers will excel in operations related to complex computational processes.
Considering that, here are some possible ways quantum computing could impact digital commerce:- Personalization: Quantum computing could put the “real” in real-time data analysis to the degree where it impacts in-session shopping experiences with up to the second personalization, offers, and product recommendations.
- Dynamic pricing: Supercharged real-time data analysis may also extend to dynamic pricing, where each shopper is presented with a unique pricelist based on any number of factors.
- Third-party logistics (3PL) and last-mile delivery will be upended with new approaches to the long-standing traveling salesperson problem.
- Next generation large language models (LLMs) could potentially to be trained and operate on quantum computers, driving even better GenAI tools for e-commerce.
While those applications only scratch the surface, the most immediate impact of quantum computing in commerce will be related to internet security.
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The internet security dilemma
Trust is everything in digital commerce. Quantum computing has the potential to thoroughly upend that trust, as the technology renders current methods of encryption obsolete.
Encryption, like the commonly used RSA algorithm, is nothing more than a complex mathematical puzzle. What would be impossible for a traditional computer to solve through brute force can be readily accomplished by a quantum computer of sufficient size (where size is measured in the number of qubits).
The saving grace, for now, is that a limited number of these devices are in use and their cost can run into the tens of millions of dollars. But that, like all tech as it matures, will change.
Post-quantum encryption methods exist. Yet, we know from things like the rollout of HTTPS that it will take years to gain widespread adoption. That could lead to problems for those who fall victim to future data breaches. Sophisticated bad actors could simply hold onto encrypted data collected in a breach and wait for quantum computing resources to become available to crack it.
For forward-thinking companies that boost security in the next three to five years, there’s an opportunity for a sustained competitive advantage. These brands can claim that they’ve implemented future-proof data security protections, while many of their competitors won’t even have similar initiatives on their digital commerce roadmaps.
Quantum computing isn’t yet ready to change the digital commerce landscape. However, it’s coming, and it benefits those of us who look ahead to be aware of tomorrow’s trends today.
