Michio Kaku warns: Quantum computers will make today’s digital technology obsolete

In a recent Big Think interview, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku argued that quantum computing is poised to overturn the foundations of the digital age and trigger a new technological revolution. Describing conventional machines as destined for the “garbage can” of history, he said the next generation of computers will compute directly on atoms, unlocking capabilities far beyond what transistor-based chips can achieve.​

Kaku linked the rise of quantum computers to the slowdown of Moore’s law, noting that as transistors shrink toward just a few atoms across, quantum effects such as electron tunneling threaten to halt further gains in classical processing power. Quantum devices, which exploit superposition and other phenomena that allow electrons to occupy multiple states simultaneously, could bypass this barrier and perform calculations across immense numbers of possibilities in parallel.​

The physicist emphasized that this shift could transform vital sectors including agriculture, energy, and medicine. He pointed to ongoing efforts to use quantum simulations to design more efficient fertilizers, model fusion reactors that burn seawater without dangerous waste, and test drug molecules virtually to accelerate the search for treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.​

However, Kaku also warned of far-reaching security implications, noting that sufficiently advanced quantum computers could rapidly factor large numbers and thereby break many of today’s encryption systems, which underpin global finance and the protection of state secrets. Governments, intelligence agencies, and technology companies are already closely tracking this race, as the first nations and firms to master quantum hardware may gain decisive strategic and economic advantages.​

According to Kaku, the ultimate promise of quantum computing lies in its ability to simulate the molecular and cosmic systems that have eluded classical approaches, potentially revealing new materials, medical breakthroughs, and even deeper insights into the laws of physics themselves. He predicted that future “winners” in fields such as biology and chemistry will be those who learn to wield quantum computers as powerful tools, rather than those who ignore the technology and risk being left behind.​

Source: Big Think – “Michio Kaku: How quantum computers compute in multiple universes at once” (YouTube / Big Think interview)