Google's Willow Quantum Chip Breakthrough is Hidden Behind a Questionable Benchmark
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Google recently unveiled its Willow quantum chip, claiming it achieves "beyond classical computation" by completing a random circuit sampling (RCS) task in under five minutes-a task that would take classical supercomputers an estimated 10 septillion years.
While RCS benchmarks lack practical applications, Google argues they are foundational for assessing quantum capabilities.
More practically, Google tries to make the case that RCS performance should be the metric by which all quantum computers are judged. According to Hartmut Neven, the founder of Google Quantum AI, "it's an entry point. If you can't win on random circuit sampling, you can't win on any other algorithm either." He adds RCS is "now widely used as a standard in the field."
However, other companies, including IBM and Honeywell, instead use a metric called quantum volume to tout their breakthroughs. They claim it points to a more holistic understanding of a machine's capabilities by factoring in how its qubits interact with one another. Unfortunately, you won't find any mention of quantum volume in the spec sheet Google shared for Willow, making comparisons difficult.
The true breakthrough lies in Willow's reduced error rates as more qubits are added, marking progress toward scalable, practical quantum systems. However, critics highlight the absence of comparative metrics like quantum volume, leaving questions about its real-world impact.
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