What Do Quantitative Analysts Think of Quantum Computing?
In other posts we have already discussed some of the reasons why small and mid-sized financial institutions are hesitant to adopt quantum computing.
In this post, I want to bring a more personal perspective to this discussion and share my experiences interacting with quants.
Most of the quants I have met are either skeptical or simply indifferent to quantum computing.
That’s a fact!
They are not actively seeking to learn about the "so-called quantum speedups", nor do they see an immediate reason to do so.
Some find the topic interesting, yes, but they do not see an urgent need to invest time in it.
I understand them.
Their workloads are already demanding, and they see quantum as a risky investment of time (especially when they keep hearing that practical applications are still decades away!).
In many cases, it is not because they find the subject too difficult.
Some quants are physicists with PhDs in quantum topics, meaning they could pick up the basics of quantum computing in a few months, if not less.
Yet, as a physicist friend of mine who has spent two decades in quantitative finance put it:
"Honestly, I don't care about that quantum computing stuff."
(My free translation from Italian.)
As we know, it is normal for new scientific paradigms to face skepticism before gaining traction.
And quants have a range of reasons for resisting the quantum paradigm, from valid technical concerns to personal biases.
For instance, many of them are focused on well-established classical techniques that already deliver strong results.
They rely on stochastic calculus, machine learning, and optimization methods that work today, whereas quantum computing is still largely experimental.
Some other reasons are purely subjective.
One quant told me bluntly that many of these new “quantum professionals” don’t even know quantum mechanics properly or how to program in C!
I recall an interview with Román Orús, a well-known expert in quantum computing for finance, where he shares a story about visiting a bank executive to discuss quantum computing investment opportunities (or something like that).
After greeting him, the executive immediately dismissed the topic, opened his tablet, and started playing video games.
That was several years ago, but honestly, I don’t think much has changed.
Want to dive deeper? My eBook is a great place to start → https://www.ozatp.com/qaf
