Though one of the most widely discussed technological frontiers today, quantum computing is still not broadly understood outside of a small number of professional circles. Here, I hope to shed a little light on the topic, exploring what Amadeus is currently working on in this area while also looking at its possible impact on the wider travel sector.
Before we begin, I must be clear, Amadeus recognizes that quantum computing is not something that is going to go into commercial operation tomorrow. There is a long road ahead. However, this is an area worthy of study, one with tremendous potential.
Quantum computing
So, what are we talking about when we talk about quantum computing?
Put simply, this is a type of computation designed to harness the collective properties of quantum mechanics to perform calculations. Devices that perform quantum computations are known as quantum computers.
Today, quantum computers are not mature enough to be deployed in production. However, several technology players are progressing in their development, with somecommentators suggesting a commercial model could be ready in as little as five years.
Once ready, quantum computers have the potential to solve problems that are intractable today because of their complexity or size.
Amadeus today
Amadeus has been anticipating the evolution of quantum computing and its applications for several years. The area is currently part of our ‘Tech Watch’ portfolio, where a regular evaluation of the technology evolution and maturity is carried out by Amadeus experts.
While technology remains in its infancy, our main interest comes from a research point of view. For this reason, most of the projects currently underway in the travel industry are carried out in collaboration with academic and research institutions. We are working alongsideEurecom to explore the potential of the technology, while we have also used available quantum computers in the cloud to test some of existing hypothesis.
In the longer term, we believe there is potential for quantum computing to enhance our solutions – includingNetwork and Schedule Planning andAmadeus Revenue Management - allowing them to reach the optimal solution faster and more efficiently than existing computers.
Uses in the wider travel sector
With these caveats in place, several use cases stand out for quantum computing when it comes to the travel sector. Here we explore two.
The first topic Amadeus is investigating is quantum natural language processing (QNLP). In travel, this can be used to conduct sentiment analysis, understanding customer opinion across a wide range of formats with a view to driving an improvement in services.
For example, automatic review processing of hotels or airlines can enhance the passenger experience, while automatic travel request processing might also be possible via chatbots. We can use quantum computing to create new algorithms, far in advance of those we use today.
My colleague, Massimiliano Pronesti, recently presented the outcome of our research on quantum computing at the 2022 edition of theSophia Summit :we implemented a quantum-based solution to determine the nature of sentiments in Tweets posted about airlines and available onKaggle . A quite impressive proof that quantum computers are no longer a fantasy, but a reality!
Beyond QNLP and optimization, cybersecurity is another field that will be impacted. Current encryption may become vulnerable. For example, RSA encryption, widely used across the internet, could be cracked by quantum computers in the future. Therefore, the international community has started research on quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms working to develop post-quantum encryption designed to resist quantum computers. At Amadeus, we are looking at areas where a new way of encryption must be deployed and assessing how this can be done in an efficient manner.
Looking ahead
Due to the low maturity level of quantum technology, none of the use cases outlined above can be tested at a scale that represents the real-life application or deployed in production. We should thus be careful with the buzz that this technology is generating, since no industrial or real-life problem can be solved with it on a scale today.
At the same time, we continue to track the progress of quantum computing.
Amadeus is an innovative company, and by keeping abreast of new technologies we can maintain our technological leadership in the travel sector. The passenger remains at the heart of everything we do – and quantum computing may help us to improve the experience throughout the entire journey.
Looking ahead, we will continue to work alongside technology providers and academic institutions to learn and understand how we can model and represent our problems in the quantum paradigm.
This can also help us to have a perspective on the maturity evolution of the technology.
We will also continue to work with our customers to understand their business needs and expectations from this technology. Beyond just improving current solutions, these collaborations can help us to identify problems that we can unlock thanks to quantum computing technology.
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