Amazon Sees Useful Quantum Computers in 5-7 Years as Race With Google, Microsoft Intensifies
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 17
Amazon Sees Useful Quantum Computers in 5-7 Years as Race With Google, Microsoft Intensifies
1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 17
Summary
Peter DeSantis said Amazon expects the first commercially useful small-scale quantum computers to emerge within 5-7 years, marking the company’s first public timeline for practical quantum systems.
DeSantis said those machines would not simply run faster than classical computers but would solve narrow problems far better, with chemistry and materials science likely among the earliest applications.
Amazon is positioning for that push through a new organization spanning AI models, chips and quantum computing; last year it unveiled the Ocelot chip aimed at improving quantum error correction.
The forecast lands near the middle of industry estimates: Google has pointed to about 5 years for practical applications, Microsoft targets a commercially viable machine by 2029, while Nvidia’s Jensen Huang had suggested 15 years might be early.
With tech giants on different timelines, who is truly closest to building a useful quantum computer?
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Amazon’s Ocelot Chip Sets New Benchmark in Quantum Error Correction as Industry Targets Commercial Quantum Computers Within a Decade
Overview
On June 17, 2026, Amazon announced its Ocelot chip, marking a major step in the race to build fault-tolerant quantum computers. The Ocelot chip introduces a new approach to quantum error correction, addressing the core challenge of qubit fragility. Amazon published detailed results in Nature, highlighting the chip’s scientific rigor and its potential to advance quantum computing. This breakthrough comes as major players like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft pursue different strategies for error correction, all aiming to overcome errors and make quantum computers reliable for real-world use.