Subodh Kulkarni is CEO and President at Rigetti Computing, and our topic in this episode is quantum computing and its implications for our changing planet. Rigetti Computing, a publicly listed company, builds quantum computers and superconducting quantum processors. It also provides cloud-based access to quantum computing for both commercial and research purposes. 

Quantum computing, a field rooted in theoretical physics, is complex and involves the use of quantum bits or qubits, which differ from binary computing's zeros and ones. As the world's computing demand continues to soar with AI and data centers consuming vast amounts of energy, AI also has the potential to unlock climate change solutions through innovations in biotech, advanced energy, planetary modeling, and more. 

We wanted to learn from Subodh about how quantum computing might change the game in all of these areas as it matures. Is it possible that quantum computing is an enormous future climate solution? Let's find out.  

In this episode, we cover: 

• [02:39]: Subodh’s background and joining Rigetti as CEO
• [05:26]: Basics of quantum computing versus classical computing
• [09:19]: Introduction to the subatomic world
• [11:46]: Physicality of a quantum computer 
• [15:01]: Rigetti's business model: cloud access and on-premise quantum computers
• [17:06]: Qubit development and the potential to follow Moore's law
• [18:02]: The power requirements of maintaining a hyper-cold environment for quantum computing
• [20:02]: Quantum computing's potential to reduce data center energy consumption
• [24:25]: Quantum's strength in probabilistic versus deterministic computation
• [29:26]: Rigetti's involvement in DOE’s fusion project
• [30:59]: Predictions for quantum computing advancements in the next 10 years
• [33:45]: How quantum computing can bolster artificial intelligence
• [36:18]: Current state of quantum computing and near-term inflection points
• [37:16]: Initial use cases for quantum computing, Rigetti’s commercialization strategies, and government funding
• [41:08]: Collaborative projects with major financial and pharmaceutical companies
• [42:12]: Potential applications in weather modeling and synthetic biology

Episode recorded on Jan 23, 2024 (Published on Mar 4, 2024)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant