IBM (NYSE: IBM) and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at redefining the future of computing. The two technology leaders plan to jointly develop next-generation computing architectures that merge the power of quantum computers with advanced high-performance computing (HPC), creating a new paradigm known as quantum-centric supercomputing. This partnership will focus on building scalable, open-source platforms that combine IBM’s leadership in quantum computing and software with AMD’s strength in HPC and AI accelerators.
Quantum computing represents a revolutionary approach to information processing. Unlike classical computers, which rely on bits that exist as either zero or one, quantum computers use qubits governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. This allows them to explore a vastly richer computational space, opening new possibilities for solving problems previously considered intractable. Applications could extend across fields such as drug discovery, materials science, optimization, and logistics, offering breakthroughs far beyond the reach of classical computing alone.
IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna emphasized the transformative nature of this collaboration. “Quantum computing will simulate the natural world and represent information in an entirely new way,” he said. “By exploring how IBM quantum computers and AMD’s advanced high-performance compute technologies can work together, we will build a powerful hybrid model that pushes past the limits of traditional computing.”
AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of HPC in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. “High-performance computing is the foundation for solving the world’s most important challenges,” she said. “As we partner with IBM to explore the convergence of HPC and quantum technologies, we see tremendous opportunities to accelerate discovery and innovation.”
The vision of quantum-centric supercomputing lies in the seamless integration of quantum computers with classical supercomputers and AI infrastructure, which typically rely on CPUs, GPUs, and other specialized compute engines. In this hybrid model, each part of a complex problem would be assigned to the computing paradigm best suited to solve it. For example, future quantum computers may simulate the behavior of atoms and molecules, while classical supercomputers powered by AI handle large-scale data analysis. Working together, these systems could tackle real-world problems at unprecedented speed and scale.
As part of this collaboration, AMD and IBM are exploring how to integrate AMD CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs with IBM’s quantum systems to accelerate the development of new algorithms that neither quantum nor classical computing could achieve alone. These efforts may also support IBM’s roadmap toward delivering fault-tolerant quantum computers by the end of the decade, with AMD’s technologies offering potential advances in real-time error correction an essential requirement for fault-tolerance.
The companies plan to stage an initial demonstration later this year to showcase hybrid quantum-classical workflows powered by IBM quantum computers and AMD technologies. They also intend to foster growth within open-source ecosystems such as Qiskit, enabling a broader community of researchers and developers to design algorithms optimized for quantum-centric supercomputing.
IBM has already begun taking steps toward this vision through partnerships such as its collaboration with RIKEN in Japan, where IBM’s modular quantum computer, IBM Quantum System Two, has been directly linked with Fugaku, one of the world’s fastest classical supercomputers. IBM is also working with organizations including Cleveland Clinic, the Basque Government, and Lockheed Martin to demonstrate the real-world benefits of combining quantum and classical resources for problems that classical machines cannot solve on their own.
AMD, meanwhile, brings to the partnership a proven track record of leadership in HPC. Its CPUs and GPUs currently power Frontier at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the world’s first exascale supercomputer, as well as El Capitan at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which together hold the top two positions on the TOP500 list of the fastest supercomputers in the world. Beyond HPC, AMD’s processors, graphics technologies, and open-source software form the backbone of many enterprise and cloud-based generative AI solutions across the globe.
Together, IBM and AMD are laying the foundation for a new era of hybrid computing that integrates quantum, AI, and high-performance architectures. Their shared vision promises to push the boundaries of discovery and innovation, tackling some of humanity’s most difficult scientific and industrial challenges with unprecedented power.