Beyond AI: Why Quantum Technology Could Be the Next Great Revolution | Saqib Ahmad

What if the universe does not operate according to the rules our intuition has taught us to expect?

We tend to think of reality as predictable: cause leads to effect, objects occupy a particular place, and with enough information, we should eventually know what happens next. Quantum physics quietly dismantled much of that certainty.

In this episode of Human Lab, part of our Member Stories series, Saqib Ahmad, Innovation Manager for Quantum Technology at the Leiden Institute of Physics, University of Leiden, sheds light on what happens when the smallest building blocks of reality refuse to behave according to common sense.

Saqib’s journey mirrors the evolution of the field. From studying astrophysics in India and the UK to specialising in quantum technology, working with companies developing incredibly sensitive light-particle detectors, and researching whether the human eye and consciousness could detect individual photons, his career has moved between fundamental science and its emerging commercial possibilities. Today, he works on developing the Netherlands’ quantum technology ecosystem, helping bridge research and real-world applications.

But understanding quantum technology requires first confronting an uncomfortable idea: at the microscopic level, reality is governed by probability. A quantum system cannot always be described as simply being in one definite state waiting for us to discover it. Instead, its possible outcomes exist within a probability structure that we can experimentally constrain and predict.

That does not mean science has descended into chaos. Quite the opposite. We may not know which outcome will occur, but we can understand the rules governing the possibilities. And that distinction is precisely where quantum technology becomes fascinating.

The conversation then moves from theory to the technologies already quietly shaping modern life. Atomic clocks underpin the extraordinary precision required for GPS. Lasers, transistors and communication technologies all depend on principles rooted in quantum physics. What is now attracting enormous investment is what Saqib calls “quantum 2.0”: deliberately harnessing quantum behaviours to create new technological capabilities.

Three areas dominate this emerging landscape: quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum sensing.

Quantum computing promises highly specialised computational capabilities that could eventually tackle problems beyond the practical reach of conventional machines. Quantum communication, meanwhile, raises a different possibility: communications systems designed around the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics to provide unprecedented security. And then there is quantum sensing, perhaps the least understood publicly but potentially the most transformative in everyday life, capable of extraordinarily precise measurements across areas ranging from medicine and biology to navigation, gravity measurement, and environmental monitoring.

Yet with opportunity comes a warning: quantum risks becoming another technological buzzword, much like AI. The rise of “quantum” marketing makes it increasingly important to separate genuine science from claims that have little connection to what the technology can actually do.

The stakes extend beyond business. Governments and militaries are already thinking about quantum computing, encryption and the possibility that information protected today could eventually be decrypted by sufficiently powerful quantum systems. The race, therefore, is not simply about who builds the most advanced computer. It is also about who prepares for the security implications of that computer.

For India and other emerging economies, another question remains: what happens if the quantum revolution advances faster than our ability to participate in it? Saqib argues that building awareness, capability and investment today matters because technological gaps can become economic and strategic vulnerabilities tomorrow.

And ultimately, the conversation returns to something much bigger than technology.

Quantum mechanics confronts us with the limits of human intuition. Perhaps the most intellectually honest conclusion is not that we have finally understood reality, but that we still do not understand enough.

That may be unsettling. It may also be the most exciting starting point science has to offer.

Listen to this episode, and join the conversation about the technology that could reshape how we compute, communicate, measure, and understand our world.

Disclaimer: The perspectives expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of our platform. This discussion is intended solely for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.
Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran

Introduction music credit: https://freesound.org/people/GregorQuendel