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Welcome back to Mind Over Money. I'm Kevin Cook, your field guide and storyteller for the fascinating arena of behavioral economics.
We've covered a lot of ground here about the AI revolution since 2016, from AlphaGo and deep learning -- even before we knew what a Transformer or an LLM was -- to the rise of hyperscalers, robots, and agentic AI built around NVIDIA GPUs and CUDA architecture.
In March of 2017, I made a video titled "Get Your MPA in Deep Learning" to highlight the significance of NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) "massively parallel architectures" that were using GPUs to create the future of artificial intelligence.
In August of 2018, I implored investors that a revolution was coming out of a simple gaming chip company...
The one frontier I haven't talked much about on my podcast is Quantum Computing (QC). Instead I've been having those conversations over on my colleague Neena Mishra's show, ETF Spotlight.
Neena and I just had a fun chat about the NVIDIA GTC Quantum Day last week and we talked about the tension on stage that day as a dozen leaders and scientists from 3 public and 9 private QC companies made their case for their scientific R&D -- and how they were much closer to practical solutions and use-cases than Jensen's recent off-hand comments about useful QC being "10 to 15 years away."
The CEOs of D-Wave Quantum, Alan Baratz, and IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) , Peter Chapman, were particularly eloquent and persuasive, as was Rajeeb Hazra of Quantinuum.
In that episode, Neena and I also discussed the latest QC chips from Microsoft and Amazon, named Majorana and Ocelot, respectively.
And I included a link to get a copy of my updated QC report titled Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power and demand has been crazy. You can get a free copy while they last right now at that link.
I'm proud of that report as I've crafted and revised it over the past 18 months because I try to explain quantum computing in the simplest terms possible. Which is not easy.
In fact, I had some fun compiling quotes from the greatest physicists of the 20th century describing their frustration with the underlying science of quantum mechanics. Here's an excerpt from that section...
Weird Science 101: Even Einstein Hated the Quantum World
Let’s clarify at the outset: the quantum world is not the world you and I experience daily. It’s not only super weird, but it almost does not seem real. Take it from these physicists who struggled with what new experiments and phenomena were showing them...
“I cannot seriously believe in quantum mechanics because the theory is incompatible with the requirement that physics should represent reality in space and time without spooky action at a distance.” ~ Albert Einstein
“Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.” ~ Niels Bohr
“If you are not completely confused by quantum mechanics, you do not understand it.” ~ John Wheeler
“I do not like quantum mechanics, and I am sorry I ever had anything to do with it.” ~ Erwin Schrödinger
“Quantum mechanics makes absolutely no sense.” ~ Roger Penrose
“It is safe to say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” ~ Richard Feynman
“If quantum theory is correct, it signifies the end of physics as a science.” ~ Albert Einstein
Despite the "fuzzy" nature of the quantum world, members of my TAZR Trader group went to the bank with returns of +1,340% in Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) and +1,100% in D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) recently, before and after the NVIDIA GTC shindig.
But those were small speculative plays where the risk/reward seemed manageable -- provided you first secured your core holdings in the AI stocks currently changing the world with powerful products, platforms, and profits.
Think Semi Long-Term for the QC Revolution
My persistent focus in my QC report is on getting you to first build a long-term portfolio of semiconductors, with NVIDIA at the top of the heap.
AI accelerated computing is changing the world so rapidly right now that it will remain the foundation for how QC evolves and becomes implemented into real-world solutions.
So I suggest that QC could be the "Fusion Energy of Advanced Computing," but it will NOT leave AI behind -- it will only enhance it. That was a common theme we heard at NVIDIA GTC when the experts talked about GPUs, CPUs, and QPUs all working in tandem to create the next generations of supercomputers.
Since I'm not an engineer, much less a physicist, I thought it would be good to bring an industry expert on the Mind Over Money program to tell us about the future of this weirdest of sciences.
And it just so happens that he works for a company that specializes in synthesizing AI and QC.
Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga is the VP of Global Outreach for SandboxAQ, a spin-out from Google in 2022 funded by great tech visionaries like Eric Schmidt and Marc Benioff.
I first encountered SandboxAQ when Peter Diamandis did an interview with their CEO Jack Hidary that year. Diamandis was the one who got me interested in QC after he wrote about Chad Rigetti's "coldest pipe in the world" in his 2020 book The Future is Faster Than You Think.
Here's how SandboxAQ describes their work...
SandboxAQ is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge AI and advanced computing solutions. Their Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) address key challenges in drug discovery, new materials for the auto and aerospace sectors, investment asset management and more. SandboxAQ's AI sensing applications are revolutionizing healthcare and navigation, while their pioneering cryptography management platform protects organizations against current and future cyber threats.
My Top Questions for the QC Expert
Fernando was a goldmine of insight about this emerging industry. Here were some of the questions I threw at him...
What did we learn from the NVIDIA GTC Quantum Day?
What was your reaction to the Google Willow reveal from parent company Alphabet ((GOOGL - Free Report) )?
What is the "3rd quantum revolution" and why is the combination of AI + Quantum software so critical?
Let's get practical: what did your team test recently with Boeing on the GPS navigation system that our aviation world relies on?
Explain what you mean by "Q-Day" and "Post Quantum Cryptography?"
How and when should a global leader start preparing for quantum computers, especially with all of these cybersecurity threats?
Tune in and learn why we are now in the "engineering age" of quantum applications.
Frontiers of Science and Computing Demand Innovation
I was soaking up Fernando's answers with ears wide open. I've already listened to the replay twice just to reabsorb the insights.
I even offered an original idea: that new cybersecurity solutions and companies might have to be "quantum native" to survive and thrive in the coming world of challenges. Thankfully, Fernando didn't hate the idea ;)
More importantly, he explained the importance of LQMs (large quantitative models) for the hard sciences and physical industries like oil & gas or pharmaceuticals, where complex data is encoded in the highly-technical quantitative relationships of physics, chemistry, and biology.
This is as opposed to the LLMs that most of us are accustomed to using now like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Grok which are based mostly on language interpretation (and regurgitation) from the millions of internet articles they've read.
Be sure to tune in to our 30 minute chat to hear all his insights that he shares every week with sophisticated leaders around the globe.
SandboxAQ Builds the Future on STEM Education
One more cool thing: the SandboxAQ Scholarship Program! By wonderful coincidence they just launched it on the day of our recording.
SandboxAQ announced the launch of two exciting initiatives designed to support PhD students pursuing cutting-edge research in AQ (AI and Quantum) technology.
Since their origin six years ago, SandboxAQ has been forging strong links between industry and academia to meet the soaring demand for quantum and AI-trained researchers and engineers.
Jack Hidary and his team want to ensure that graduate students and PhDs emerge with the real-world, practical, and relevant experience they need to apply to their academic endeavors and secure cutting-edge careers in the quantum industry.
This struck me because it emphasizes that bleeding-edge science and technology require new ideas and new levels of creativity that often come from young, eager, super-curious minds.
And it's an area close to my heart because we don't do enough to show more high school students how they might love some aspect of science or math.
Think of the creative talent we are missing by not giving teenagers more ways to access their curiosity about science, math, and technology.
If you haven't seen my latest project to lift the level of science education, check out this prototype app I just built using the Bolt agent: DeepTime Science Explorer.
I'm on a mission to... Inspire 1 million teens to discover their passion for science.
The SandboxAQ Education Hub and YouTube channel are also treasure troves for learning about this emerging future we are hurtling toward.
See you at the sandbox where our ideas and our youth meet the sci-fi future we're all creating!
Kevin Cook is a Senior Stock Strategist for Zacks Investment Research where he runs the TAZR Trader portfolio. At the time of publication, he owned positions in two of the stocks mentioned here: NVDA and QBTS.
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The Quantum Sandbox: How AI + QC Changes Everything
Welcome back to Mind Over Money. I'm Kevin Cook, your field guide and storyteller for the fascinating arena of behavioral economics.
We've covered a lot of ground here about the AI revolution since 2016, from AlphaGo and deep learning -- even before we knew what a Transformer or an LLM was -- to the rise of hyperscalers, robots, and agentic AI built around NVIDIA GPUs and CUDA architecture.
In March of 2017, I made a video titled "Get Your MPA in Deep Learning" to highlight the significance of NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) "massively parallel architectures" that were using GPUs to create the future of artificial intelligence.
In August of 2018, I implored investors that a revolution was coming out of a simple gaming chip company...
Who Cares NVIDIA Makes Great Gaming Graphics?
The one frontier I haven't talked much about on my podcast is Quantum Computing (QC). Instead I've been having those conversations over on my colleague Neena Mishra's show, ETF Spotlight.
Neena and I just had a fun chat about the NVIDIA GTC Quantum Day last week and we talked about the tension on stage that day as a dozen leaders and scientists from 3 public and 9 private QC companies made their case for their scientific R&D -- and how they were much closer to practical solutions and use-cases than Jensen's recent off-hand comments about useful QC being "10 to 15 years away."
The CEOs of D-Wave Quantum, Alan Baratz, and IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) , Peter Chapman, were particularly eloquent and persuasive, as was Rajeeb Hazra of Quantinuum.
In that episode, Neena and I also discussed the latest QC chips from Microsoft and Amazon, named Majorana and Ocelot, respectively.
And I included a link to get a copy of my updated QC report titled Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power and demand has been crazy. You can get a free copy while they last right now at that link.
I'm proud of that report as I've crafted and revised it over the past 18 months because I try to explain quantum computing in the simplest terms possible. Which is not easy.
In fact, I had some fun compiling quotes from the greatest physicists of the 20th century describing their frustration with the underlying science of quantum mechanics. Here's an excerpt from that section...
Weird Science 101: Even Einstein Hated the Quantum World
Let’s clarify at the outset: the quantum world is not the world you and I experience daily. It’s not only super weird, but it almost does not seem real. Take it from these physicists who struggled with what new experiments and phenomena were
showing them...
“I cannot seriously believe in quantum mechanics because the theory is incompatible with the requirement that physics should represent reality in space and time without spooky action at a distance.” ~ Albert Einstein
“Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.” ~ Niels Bohr
“If you are not completely confused by quantum mechanics, you do not understand it.” ~ John Wheeler
“I do not like quantum mechanics, and I am sorry I ever had anything to do with it.” ~ Erwin Schrödinger
“Quantum mechanics makes absolutely no sense.” ~ Roger Penrose
“It is safe to say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” ~ Richard Feynman
“If quantum theory is correct, it signifies the end of physics as a science.” ~ Albert Einstein
Despite the "fuzzy" nature of the quantum world, members of my TAZR Trader group went to the bank with returns of +1,340% in Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) and +1,100% in D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) recently, before and after the NVIDIA GTC shindig.
But those were small speculative plays where the risk/reward seemed manageable -- provided you first secured your core holdings in the AI stocks currently changing the world with powerful products, platforms, and profits.
Think Semi Long-Term for the QC Revolution
My persistent focus in my QC report is on getting you to first build a long-term portfolio of semiconductors, with NVIDIA at the top of the heap.
AI accelerated computing is changing the world so rapidly right now that it will remain the foundation for how QC evolves and becomes implemented into real-world solutions.
So I suggest that QC could be the "Fusion Energy of Advanced Computing," but it will NOT leave AI behind -- it will only enhance it. That was a common theme we heard at NVIDIA GTC when the experts talked about GPUs, CPUs, and QPUs all working in tandem to create the next generations of supercomputers.
Since I'm not an engineer, much less a physicist, I thought it would be good to bring an industry expert on the Mind Over Money program to tell us about the future of this weirdest of sciences.
And it just so happens that he works for a company that specializes in synthesizing AI and QC.
Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga is the VP of Global Outreach for SandboxAQ, a spin-out from Google in 2022 funded by great tech visionaries like Eric Schmidt and Marc Benioff.
I first encountered SandboxAQ when Peter Diamandis did an interview with their CEO Jack Hidary that year. Diamandis was the one who got me interested in QC after he wrote about Chad Rigetti's "coldest pipe in the world" in his 2020 book The Future is Faster Than You Think.
Here's how SandboxAQ describes their work...
SandboxAQ is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge AI and advanced computing solutions. Their Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) address key challenges in drug discovery, new materials for the auto and aerospace sectors, investment asset management and more. SandboxAQ's AI sensing applications are revolutionizing healthcare and navigation, while their pioneering cryptography management platform protects organizations against current and future cyber threats.
My Top Questions for the QC Expert
Fernando was a goldmine of insight about this emerging industry. Here were some of the questions I threw at him...
What did we learn from the NVIDIA GTC Quantum Day?
What was your reaction to the Google Willow reveal from parent company Alphabet ((GOOGL - Free Report) )?
What is the "3rd quantum revolution" and why is the combination of AI + Quantum software so critical?
Let's get practical: what did your team test recently with Boeing on the GPS navigation system that our aviation world relies on?
Explain what you mean by "Q-Day" and "Post Quantum Cryptography?"
How and when should a global leader start preparing for quantum computers, especially with all of these cybersecurity threats?
Tune in and learn why we are now in the "engineering age" of quantum applications.
Frontiers of Science and Computing Demand Innovation
I was soaking up Fernando's answers with ears wide open. I've already listened to the replay twice just to reabsorb the insights.
I even offered an original idea: that new cybersecurity solutions and companies might have to be "quantum native" to survive and thrive in the coming world of challenges. Thankfully, Fernando didn't hate the idea ;)
More importantly, he explained the importance of LQMs (large quantitative models) for the hard sciences and physical industries like oil & gas or pharmaceuticals, where complex data is encoded in the highly-technical quantitative relationships of physics, chemistry, and biology.
This is as opposed to the LLMs that most of us are accustomed to using now like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Grok which are based mostly on language interpretation (and regurgitation) from the millions of internet articles they've read.
Be sure to tune in to our 30 minute chat to hear all his insights that he shares every week with sophisticated leaders around the globe.
SandboxAQ Builds the Future on STEM Education
One more cool thing: the SandboxAQ Scholarship Program! By wonderful coincidence they just launched it on the day of our recording.
SandboxAQ announced the launch of two exciting initiatives designed to support PhD students pursuing cutting-edge research in AQ (AI and Quantum) technology.
Since their origin six years ago, SandboxAQ has been forging strong links between industry and academia to meet the soaring demand for quantum and AI-trained researchers and engineers.
Jack Hidary and his team want to ensure that graduate students and PhDs emerge with the real-world, practical, and relevant experience they need to apply to their academic endeavors and secure cutting-edge careers in the quantum industry.
This struck me because it emphasizes that bleeding-edge science and technology require new ideas and new levels of creativity that often come from young, eager, super-curious minds.
And it's an area close to my heart because we don't do enough to show more high school students how they might love some aspect of science or math.
Think of the creative talent we are missing by not giving teenagers more ways to access their curiosity about science, math, and technology.
If you haven't seen my latest project to lift the level of science education, check out this prototype app I just built using the Bolt agent: DeepTime Science Explorer.
I'm on a mission to... Inspire 1 million teens to discover their passion for science.
The SandboxAQ Education Hub and YouTube channel are also treasure troves for learning about this emerging future we are hurtling toward.
See you at the sandbox where our ideas and our youth meet the sci-fi future we're all creating!
Kevin Cook is a Senior Stock Strategist for Zacks Investment Research where he runs the TAZR Trader portfolio. At the time of publication, he owned positions in two of the stocks mentioned here: NVDA and QBTS.