Spotlight Interview: Scott Buchholz, Global Quantum Lead at Deloitte

We recently sat down with Scott Buchholz, Global Quantum Lead and CTO for Government & Public Services at Deloitte Consulting LLP, to discuss how Deloitte is helping clients navigate the fast-evolving landscape of quantum computing. With decades of experience in enterprise technology and a strategic focus on emerging innovations, Scott shared insights into Deloitte’s initiatives, the role of AI in quantum development, and what steps businesses can take today to prepare for a quantum-powered future.

Please give us a little introduction on your current role and what you do.

As the Lead for Quantum Computing at Deloitte, I drive our efforts to explore the fascinating applications of quantum computers and quantum technologies. This involves supporting our clients in being successful in their quantum initiatives, demystifying the topic of quantum computing for leaders and executives, and working closely with our ecosystem partners. Additionally, I oversee Deloitte’s overall strategy and investments in the quantum computing space, working to stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.

How is Deloitte positioning itself as a leader in quantum computing advisory and solutions?

We have been actively investing in resources and research for over five years in the areas of quantum computing and quantum risk/cybersecurity. Our goal is to enable our clients to solve their business challenges using technology, and we support those efforts with everything from strategy to implementation to operations. To that end, we work with forums and consortia like the World Economic Forum and the QED-C to support standardization and education. And we work with technology vendor partners to develop and test solutions to client problems and challenges.

Can you share insights into Deloitte’s Quantum Computing Institute and its key initiatives?

We’re actively working to support client projects, produce thought leadership pieces to help business leaders know where to focus, and continue active research to push the edge of what’s possible across quantum computing enabled and quantum inspired techniques.

What are some of Deloitte’s most exciting quantum computing projects or collaborations?

We’re currently very excited about some of the results of our quantum inspired machine learning models. They are very promising for industries like financial services and healthcare.

How is Deloitte helping businesses identify real-world use cases for quantum computing?

Our team includes experts in quantum computing technologies paired with industry experts. Together, we work to identify potential areas of opportunity for industries and businesses, for instance in our Financial Services Use Case report. When working with individual organizations, we tailor our general analysis to help specific organizations identify specific use cases and problems that matter the most to them.

Which industries stand to benefit the most from early adoption of quantum computing, and why?

Initially, it’s easiest to foresee financial services, pharmaceuticals, chemical manufacturers, and governments getting the most value out of early adoption of quantum computing. Those industries will be likely benefit from the initial capabilities for machine learning and eventually take advantage of complex simulations in chemistry, materials science, and monte carlo models.

And yet, we’re still focused on replicating technologies of today. When we have at scale devices, we’re likely to find that they’re useful in a myriad of other ways we haven’t yet thought of.

How does Deloitte see the role of AI and machine learning in accelerating quantum computing research?

For the time being, the technologies appear to be complementary. Quantum machine learning does show some advantages over classical machine learning. Machine learning is already used to control and optimize the results from today’s quantum computing hardware. And individuals are currently exploring the degree to which Generative AI and large language models could potentially generate code that runs on quantum computers.

What do you think the timeline is for achieving quantum advantage in real-world applications?

Vendor roadmaps are increasingly suggesting that production workload capabilities will be available in the next two to three years. The commercially useful use cases that are tractable for the anticipated capability of ~100 logical qubits is still likely to be relatively narrow, but if capacity continues to grow exponentially, we should anticipate the range of viable use cases will increase rapidly from there.

What steps should businesses take today to prepare for a quantum-powered future?

It’s time to develop a plan, if not get materially started on exploring quantum computing. That plan should include priority use cases of importance to the organization, planning for talent acquisition and upskilling, and prioritized next steps with triggers. Moreover, using ‘quantum inspired’ machine learning techniques can generate value today in many organizations, helping teams get a step up in terms of outcomes and talent at the same time.

What key discussions are you looking forward to having with industry leaders?

We look forward to connecting with forward-looking organization who want to understand the impact quantum is likely to have on their organizations and missions. If your organization hasn’t yet started, it’s time to develop a solid plan for your quantum-enabled future!

We’re also excited to see all the familiar faces in our industry and continue supporting the ecosystem of players. It's an exciting time for all of us!