Imagine a quantum physicist telling his team, “Guys, I think AGI is here.” That’s exactly what Mykola Maksymenko, co-founder and CTO of quantum software startup Haiqu, did after an AI agent recreated half a year of his PhD work in a single weekend – and even found a bug he’d missed! He clarifies it as “weak AGI,” but this isn’t just hype. Haiqu is combining advanced AI models, agentic systems, and current-generation quantum computers to dramatically accelerate research, making quantum utility practical today, not a decade from now.
Haiqu’s innovation lies in its “agentic quantum operating system,” where AI research agents break down complex problems, identify suitable quantum algorithms, and optimize them for existing quantum hardware. The results are mind-boggling: a molecular dynamics simulation that once cost $30,000 and took nine hours can now be completed for just $25 in about 30 seconds. This incredible speed and cost reduction isn’t just marginal; it’s fundamentally changing what’s possible, moving the focus from theoretical “quantum supremacy” to tangible, real-world “quantum utility.”
This powerful system means even a physicist with no prior genomics background could replicate complex genome research just “for fun,” simply by feeding the system publicly available data. It opens the door for scientists to explore “back-burner” ideas almost for free, potentially leading to major breakthroughs. However, with great power comes a serious dilemma: tools capable of such profound scientific acceleration could also be misused. The industry is grappling with how to implement guardrails for technology that can be used for both valid, life-changing research and potentially harmful applications.