Quantum computing's hype problem

Prof. Sankar Das Sarma provides a lucid perspective on much-hyped near-term applications of quantum computing.

I think a lot of this hype can be blamed on commercial interests or non-specialist science journalists who hide the nuances of the field in search of clickbait.

From what I've seen in talks by researchers from hardware companies such as Google, Xanadu, etc., they do try to focus on the interesting physics of the current generation of quantum processors, rather than trying to overhype unlikely or far-off commercial applications.

I think the same is true for academic researchers working on quantum computing. Unfortunately funding for basic science at universities is scarce, and many governments are keen to promote partnerships with industry even when the science may be at a far too early stage.