IEEE Computer Society Team

The evolving field of quantum AI research centers on the study of quantum computing, which brings together the fields of quantum mechanics and machine learning.

Creating a research network for quantum machine intelligence will take an interdisciplinary and collaborative effort to join a variety of roles and areas of technical expertise. Together, researchers, scientists, and engineers can pursue the study of quantum computing and AI to create algorithms, tools, and applications that use quantum computers for machine learning tasks.

In an effort to further collaboration and advance the potential for quantum machine intelligence, Autilia Vitiello of the Department of Physics “Ettore Pancini” at the University of Naples Federico II, in Italy, organized the area’s first workshop on quantum artificial intelligence: “Quantum Artificial Intelligence 2023” (QAI 2023).

Supported by an IEEE CS Emerging Technology Grant, the workshop was created to share knowledge, establish new relationships, and initiate collaborations aimed at developing high-quality research in this new area.

How the workshop began

During the two-day workshop on 27 and 28 July 2023, diverse individuals from varying scientific backgrounds, such as physics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering, convened within a unified research forum for the first time. The majority of the workshop’s attendees were from Italy; approximately 70 attended in person, with ten participating virtually.

The participants deliberated on novel neural models utilizing quantum phenomena; the creation of optimization strategies that leverage the inherent parallelism of quantum computing; and cognitive reasoning methodologies based on quantum schemes that emulate human thought processes.

“This collective collaboration facilitated the exchange of ideas and clarification of concepts regarding quantum intelligent machines,” Vitiello said. “As a result, we are confident we have opened a new avenue of research in computer science, which will be extensively developed in the near future. This will provide novel opportunities to advance theory and applications related to artificial intelligence.”

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Feedback from attendees

Workshop attendees expressed keen interest in this novel research consortium and admiration for the exceptional caliber of presentations shared by their colleagues.

Attendees spoke highly about their experience at the event, including Stefano Giagu a professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, who added, “I think a slightly longer workshop, like a three-day workshop, with additional tutorials and hands-on sessions, and also a discussion session on hot-topics and future perspectives in QC and QAI, would further increase the attractiveness of the event to young students and researchers.”

“We can conclude our initiative had a positive impact on the participants, and they are now highly motivated to participate in future activities of this new research network,” added Vitiello. “The key takeaways for participants of this activity were new scientific relationships and new knowledge and skills in the new field of quantum artificial intelligence. Now they are aware of a formal, well-defined definition of quantum artificial intelligence and are part of this new community.”

Next steps

Post-workshop, many attendees plan to support and participate in potential future activities. The team has developed a newsletter to share the latest developments and serve as a collaborative tool.

“We aim to sustain active relationships among participants using our newly implemented newsletter. Also, editorial and conference activities, such as the organization of new special issues and sessions, will be carried out to increase the number of publications in the area of quantum artificial intelligence and further promote this area of research,” Vitiello said.

She added, “Many thanks to the IEEE and the CS Emerging Technology Award, which helped us develop the essential capabilities to effectively present a proposal, organize a newsletter and workshop, and commence a research community in quantum artificial intelligence.”

For more information on next steps with quantum artificial intelligence activities, visit computer.org. To apply for a grant or learn more about the Emerging Technology Fund, visit https://www.computer.org/communities/emerging-technology-fund.