Google, Volkswagen spin up quantum computing partnership

Uh oh

This could bring great things, but based on the track record of the companies involved, this will boil down to a quantum computer that really isn't, hyped with a mountain of fluff and weasel words, backed by a marketing campaign to convince punters that there is, in fact, a quantum witch behind the curtain of flashing LEDs. Google will take care of begging, borrowing or stealing the data required to feed the system and exploit victi—, sorry, customers, and VW can handle faking the results to help them sell cars (whether this ultimately kills people or not, so long as it makes money).

And if that sounds cynical, consider Don't Be Evil's history with data, and VW's with a massive fraud designed to help them sell excessively noxious cars that have contributed to pollution deaths across the world.

The fact that quantum computing, right now, is amusingly both there and not there, just adds to the worry that we're about to be victims of another cloudy, AI-type hype-avalanche.

For VW … quantum computers aren't yet ready for real-world use

Oh, I don't know.

Q: Are your vehicles legitimate, or are you fiddling the emissions test?

A: Yes and no.

I'm quite surprised they're working together. I used to work in Bentley, owned by VW group, and a colleague told me of a story where some VW executives/people had a meeting with a Google executive (supposedly one of the founders). The Google executive was wearing jeans and when the VW security had one look they kicked him out. When The VW executives realised this they had to beg for him to come back. Needless to say, whatever it was VW wanted Google didn't care in the slightest.

Of course, take with a pinch of salt. "A colleague told me that someone told him that..." could very well be Chinese whispers.