I just read something interesting about what Cathie Wood thinks regarding quantum computing. It turns out that one of the biggest issues/questions she receives about the future and innovation is precisely related to this.

What’s curious is how she reflects on her own path in this field. She has been observing quantum computing for years, and what has always caught her attention is that viable commercial applications seem to be constantly 20 years in the future. It’s as if the horizon moves along with us.

Now, after conducting extensive research into where we really are in the development of quantum computing, Wood estimates that true commercial applications probably won’t arrive until some time between the mid-2040s and the mid-2060s. Basically, it’s the same pattern—only now she calculates that we’re about 19 years away instead of 20.

What I find relevant is that this reflects the reality of quantum computing as a technology: it’s a fascinating field, but it still is very much in development. The advances are real, but the gap between theoretical research and practical commercial applications remains enormous. If someone is following this topic, it’s probably more realistic to think in terms of horizons of 15 to 30 years than immediate solutions. Quantum computing will arrive, but it seems we’ll have to be patient.