Dr. Teodoro Laino from IBM Research Zurich Laboratory stated in a recent interview with Dong-A Ilbo at IBM Korea in Yeouido, Seoul, that "the combination of AI and quantum computing will become the new normal for AI systems in the future."

Dr. Laino is the developer of the cloud-based AI chemical reaction prediction platform 'IBM RXN for Chemistry' in 2018. This platform supports chemical reaction prediction and chemical synthesis pathway design in the field of organic synthesis and is actively utilized in areas such as new drug development and chemical material development.

Quantum computers are computers that perform calculations using quanta existing in a micro-world at the level of one-millionth the thickness of a hair, with computational capabilities much faster than existing computers. They are called 'game-changer' technologies because they can solve various problems that existing computers cannot. While AI faces limitations of existing computing resources as the amount of computation increases, quantum computing can quickly process complex problems due to the parallelism of qubits. The combination of the two technologies opens up the possibility for AI to solve difficult problems that were previously hard to tackle.



IBM, considered a representative company of the AI and quantum era, currently operates the largest quantum computing network in the world. Through this, it combines AI and quantum computing in various industries such as △medical △pharmaceutical △chemical △finance △agriculture.

A representative collaboration is with the Cleveland Clinic, one of the four major hospitals in the United States. IBM is collaborating with the Cleveland Clinic and pharmaceutical company Moderna to apply it to new drug development and patient prediction models. It analyzes cell movements within diseased tissues using quantum computers to develop new treatments.

Dr. Laino stated, "The combination of AI and quantum technology is expected to accelerate medical innovation such as shortening new drug development time and personalized treatment," and "IBM is developing customized precision medical technology that can be used directly by medical staff." Quantum computing is being used to build a pipeline of new drug candidate substances and to find biomarkers, which are biological indicators that predict a patient's surgical response, such as predicting cardiovascular risks after surgery.

In collaboration with German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, a 'biomedical foundation model' for antibody design is also being developed. The goal is to shorten new drug development time and increase success rates by utilizing AI models and quantum technology. Dr. Laino expressed confidence, stating, "By fine-tuning unique data owned by the pharmaceutical company for specific cancers or diseases, it can be used not only for antibody discovery but also for designing new antibodies," and "It will be actively utilized in the development of treatments for viruses and cancer."



IBM's firm philosophy is that quantum computing and AI are not separate but essential partners. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna stated in his keynote speech at 'SXSW 2025' this year, "AI and quantum are the future," and "Some of the most difficult problems the world faces will be aided by future systems that combine the advantages of quantum computers and AI systems." He emphasized, "AI learns from what we know, but quantum can reveal how nature moves, providing new information to AI."

By learning 'completely new data' such as the properties of new materials discovered by quantum computing, AI can achieve predictions and designs that were previously impossible. IBM is increasing the intersection between its AI technology and quantum technology, such as the generative AI platform Watsonx. For example, by linking Watsonx's AI model with IBM Quantum, AI is trained with quantum-generated data, or conversely, AI assists in designing quantum circuits.

This innovation is expanding from the scientific field to the consumer goods industry that constitutes daily life. Dr. Laino stated, "The innovation through the combination of AI and quantum computing has already been proven in the scientific field," and "The industry where the biggest change will occur in the future is the consumer goods sector used daily." By utilizing AI in cosmetics, food, shampoo, detergents, and other daily necessities, it is possible to develop endless personalized products and replace them with sustainable raw materials.

IBM is developing a customized AI foundation model in collaboration with L'Oréal, the world's largest beauty company, starting this year. The plan is to discover renewable and sustainable ingredients and raw materials using AI by 2030.

Dr. Laino explained, "The collaboration with L'Oréal is a project to redesign products with sustainable raw materials." He stated, "Changing just 2 or 3 out of the 20-30 ingredients in existing cosmetics is not easy to maintain functionality, but redesigning the entire portfolio of raw materials and ingredients can take years," adding, "However, by utilizing AI models, this process can be significantly shortened, allowing for a transition to eco-friendly ingredients while maintaining product performance."


It is also used for new product development, not just ingredient replacement. Dr. Laino emphasized, "AI can create new synthetic materials in the cosmetics field, similar to new drug development," and "The skin characteristics of Americans, Europeans, and Asians differ by region. By learning regional skin characteristics and user preferences, region-specific products can be developed." Mentioning the Korean beauty industry, which is gaining attention in the global market as K-beauty, he stated, "I understand that Korea is open to AI innovation," and "In addition to manufacturing industries with strengths such as semiconductors, active cooperation with IBM is possible in the consumer goods industry, including beauty."

He also expressed expectations for partnerships with Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics. Dr. Laino stated, "Korea has a very strong industrial base in advanced manufacturing fields, including semiconductors, and the infrastructure for AI innovation is very solid, possessing all the elements to become a global leader," adding, "There will be many opportunities to collaborate with major Korean companies not only in AI but also in the field of quantum computing."

Previously, IBM's 'Quantum System One' was introduced for the first time in Korea at the Yonsei University Songdo International Campus Quantum Computing Center in November last year. 'Quantum System One' is a superconducting quantum computer operated with 127 qubits, and it is the highest-performing IBM quantum computer installed outside the United States. The countries where IBM Quantum System One is installed are the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Korea, making Korea the fifth.

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