Henry Yuen Explains Quantum Computing to ABC News

On October 22, 2025, Google Quantum AI debuted its fastest quantum processor to date. ABC News went behind the scenes of Google Quantum AI's lab in Santa Barbara, California, then stopped by Columbia to learn more about the promise and potential pitfalls as quantum computers improve.

Henry Yuen, Srivani Family Associate Professor of Computer Science, explained quantum computing to ABC News Correspondent Elizabeth Schulze: the basics of what it is, how it might prove useful, and what the world should be wary of.

Yuen spoke from the lab of Sebastian Will, associate professor of physics at Columbia. The lasers and optical elements in the background are part of the Will lab's TweeSr project. Led by graduate students Aaron Holman and Ximo Sun, the TweeSr team is using lasers to trap individual atoms and use them for applications in quantum science and technology. One goal? To create a new kind of quantum processor. Holman explains more about how to catch an atom in a recent Q&A.