Industry Leaders On The Quantum AI Cusp

Quantum computing has long been viewed as a futuristic technology still years away from practical enterprise deployment. While experts expect fully mature quantum hardware to become production-ready in the early 2030s, a growing number of organisations are already exploring how they can benefit from quantum capabilities today through an emerging field known as quantum AI.

Quantum AI combines machine learning with existing quantum hardware to solve complex problems faster and more efficiently than traditional computing alone. The approach is increasingly being positioned as a bridge between today’s classical computing systems and the more powerful quantum future that many industries anticipate.

According to new research by SAS, interest in quantum AI remains high across global industries, but organisations are becoming more pragmatic about where and how they invest.

The company surveyed more than 500 global business and technology leaders to understand the state of quantum AI adoption. While high implementation costs topped the list of barriers in 2025, the latest findings from 2026 reveal that uncertainty around real-world applications has now become the biggest concern.

The survey found that the leading barriers to quantum AI adoption in 2026 include uncertainty around practical, real-world use cases, high implementation costs, lack of trained personnel, limited understanding of the technology, limited availability of quantum AI solutions, and the absence of clear regulatory guidance.

The shift suggests that organisations are no longer only worried about the expense of quantum initiatives. Instead, many are asking a more fundamental question: what business problems can quantum AI solve today?

“Organisations of all sizes are eager to develop intellectual property – their original, patented approach to quantum AI – so they’ll be ready as the technology comes of age,” said Bill Wisotsky. “Despite continued strong interest, leaders are understandably proceeding with caution, and they don’t want to go all-in on expensive quantum investments they fear may not result in worthwhile use cases and solved problems. SAS is working to level the playing field, establishing real-world use cases for today, and ensuring that customers can get a piece of the quantum pie tomorrow.”

SAS describes quantum and classical computing as part of a spectrum rather than competing technologies. In many scenarios, the most effective approach may involve hybrid systems where classical computing handles standard workloads while quantum systems tackle highly complex optimisation or simulation tasks.

This hybrid model is already attracting attention across sectors that process massive datasets or require rapid decision-making. Potential applications include fraud detection in financial services, optimisation of 5G network traffic, supply chain logistics, predictive customer analytics, and accelerated drug discovery.

Survey respondents also highlighted interest in using quantum AI to improve large language model training and natural language processing efficiency, an area that continues to gain momentum as organisations increase investment in generative AI.

To lower barriers to entry, SAS has announced plans to launch the SAS Quantum Lab for customers using its SAS Viya platform later this year.

“This survey illuminates what SAS experts were already seeing in the market: that leaders are excited to use quantum, but the barriers to entry have been too high, and that requires a solution,” said Amy Stout. “SAS is excited to give a sneak peek of SAS Quantum Lab, a hands-on playground to learn and innovate for real-world ROI.”

The initiative is designed as a hands-on environment where organisations can explore, test and validate quantum AI concepts without requiring deep expertise in quantum physics.

SAS Quantum Lab is expected to allow users to compare classical, quantum and hybrid computing results side-by-side for industry use cases, helping organisations determine the best solutions for specific business challenges. The company says the platform will also include performance-enhancing capabilities, with current testing showing more than 100 times speed improvements and cost savings of up to 99%. In addition, the platform is expected to feature a virtual quantum AI tutor capable of answering questions, offering sample code and recommending next steps for users exploring the technology.

The survey also revealed growing interest in applying quantum AI across a wide range of industries and business functions. Respondents said they hope to use the technology to improve fraud detection systems in financial services by identifying complex transaction patterns more efficiently, optimise 5G network traffic in real time, accelerate molecular simulations and drug discovery processes, improve supply chain distribution and logistics operations, strengthen predictive modelling for customer behaviour, and reduce the time and resources required to train large language models for natural language processing tasks.

“If you’re ready to explore quantum AI, we’re ready to work with you,” added Wisotsky. “Bring your ideas, and our experts will help determine if and how quantum AI can be incorporated in ways that are valuable, safe and sensible.”

The findings reinforce a broader trend across the technology industry: while fully mature quantum computing may still be years away, businesses are beginning to position themselves now for what many believe could become the next major computing shift.