Advances in science are accelerated by advances in computing. From the rise of high-performance computing (HPC) and simulation to more recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, new computational capabilities continually reshape the questions researchers can ask and the discoveries they can make. In this talk, Charles Tahan will reflect on a career spanning physics research, government service, and technology development, and share Microsoft’s vision to accelerate the future of computing.
Quantum computing has the potential to transform our ability to understand complex physical systems, accelerating discovery in chemistry, materials science, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Realizing this vision, however, requires advances across the full computing stack — from devices, control systems, and error correction to software, algorithms, and scientific workflows. This talk will explore the technical challenges of building useful quantum computers, recent progress toward fault-tolerant systems, and Microsoft's approach to developing scalable quantum architectures. At the same time, advances in AI, cloud-scale computing, and high-performance computing are helping accelerate progress toward useful quantum computing while creating new opportunities for scientific discovery. Rather than viewing these technologies as separate developments, Microsoft is pursuing a hybrid approach in which AI, HPC, and quantum computing work together as components of an integrated research platform. Combining these capabilities enables researchers to tackle increasingly complex problems through a platform that reduces barriers between theory, simulation, experimentation, and discovery.