At the 2026 Inclusion·Outer Temple Conference held from September 9 to 12 at the Shanghai Huangpu Expo Park, themed around new AI economy collaboration, a prominent quantum computing researcher cautioned the public against overhyped industry claims.

Lu Chaoyang, executive dean of the University of Science and Technology of China's Shanghai Institute and chairman of the World Young Scientist Association, stated that quantum computing is not a universal accelerator capable of speeding up all tasks. Its benefits apply only to specific problem sets. For major scenarios like today's large language models, there is currently no recognized quantum acceleration algorithm in the scientific community, he noted.

"Don't get overly excited. When you encounter obviously false claims, approach them rationally," Lu advised, pointing out that the genuinely suitable applications for quantum computing lie in molecular and material simulations, while the most critical strategic advantage is asymmetric information security.

He warned that if current encryption standards like RSA and elliptic cryptography become vulnerable to quantum attacks, it could deliver a devastating blow to financial systems and information security worldwide.

Lu cited Google as an example - the first team to demonstrate quantum computational supremacy and the most prolific publisher of quantum research annually. Despite its dominance, even this top-tier team has not found a practical, commercially viable quantum algorithm. Instead, it has resorted to a $5 million global bounty for a valuable practical algorithm.

The strongest international teams are still hunting for useful algorithms, Lu observed. Meanwhile, some Chinese quantum companies have been claiming to develop pharmaceuticals, implement quantum-based financial solutions, and even - in one extraordinary case - use quantum computing for pig farming. From an academic perspective, these assertions are beyond comprehension.

He identified a divergence in the industry: one group of companies is genuinely focused on tackling core technical challenges, producing solid quantum hardware, and searching for real-world applications. The other camp is more focused on hype around computational power, attracting speculative capital, and pursuing financial engineering rather than advancing hard technology - a path that could result in an industry bubble.