The quantum technology landscape is rapidly evolving from speculative science to a tangible economic powerhouse, with experts forecasting a market worth up to $97 billion by 2035. According to a major McKinsey report, quantum computing, communication, and sensing could generate as much as $97 billion in global revenue within a decade, making 2025 a pivotal year in the transition from concept to deployment. McKinsey's analysis highlights a decisive shift in 2024, in which the focus shifted from merely scaling qubits to stabilizing them through advanced error correction and control systems.[1]
This progress has propelled quantum computing revenues from $650-750 million in 2024 to an expected $1 billion or more in 2025. Quantum computing alone is projected to capture $28-72 billion by 2035, alongside quantum communication ($11-15 billion) and sensing ($7-10 billion), and to dominate the sector. By 2040, the total market could reach $198 billion.
Industries such as chemicals, life sciences, finance, and mobility stand to benefit most, with private-sector adoption accelerating alongside defense applications. Breakthroughs from firms like Google (Willow chip with 105 qubits), Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, and Quantinuum demonstrate this momentum. The United Nations' designation of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology has further amplified global recognition of these advances.
This quantum leap brings profound security risks. Nations are already engaging in "harvest now, decrypt later" strategies, stockpiling encrypted data for future quantum decryption, a phenomenon known as Q-Day, when current encryption crumbles.
Daniel Shiu, head of cryptography at Arqit Quantum, issued a significant warning in October 2025: it is "credible that almost all UK citizens will have had data compromised" in cyberattacks attributed to China. Stolen personal information is being hoarded for decryption once quantum computers mature, rendering today's safeguards obsolete. This vulnerability extends beyond individuals to critical infrastructure, underscoring the need for an immediate migration to post-quantum cryptography.
In an expert comment, Jason Soroko, Senior Fellow at Sectigo, emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between AI and quantum computing. "The interplay between AI and quantum computing will be mutually catalytic," he states. "AI is already helping to stabilize, calibrate, and optimize qubits; quantum in turn promises exponential acceleration in the mathematical cores that power AI itself."
Soroko predicts hybrid systems in which models guide quantum circuits in real time, blurring the distinction between training and computation. "For enterprises, this convergence is not theoretical it determines who gains the next order of efficiency in optimization, simulation, and discovery. The message is consistent across both domains: the technology may still be maturing, but governance, skills, and data readiness cannot wait for the hardware."
He further notes a paradigm shift in thinking: "Quantum computing will rewire not just infrastructure but intuition. Classical programmers think in binaries and handle errors; quantum programmers think in probabilities and coherence."
AI will serve as a bridge for current experts, while future generations become "quantum-native," Soroko concludes. As quantum matures, the dual-edged sword of opportunity and peril sharpens. With investments surging and deployments underway, businesses and governments must prioritize quantum-resistant strategies to harness the $97 billion prize without falling victim to its threats.
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[1] https://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/cybersecurity-threats-and-quantum-computings-potential--8855.html
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