Beyond silicon
Will quantum computing be capable of satisfying our needs?
With silicon reaching its limit, there is an urgent need to innovate. It is possible, for instance, to work more efficiently with what we already have. Multi–core processing units have worked well (the M4 Max can have a 16–core CPU with 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores), while a good number of programmers could take a leaf out of those who worked on machines from the 1970s and 1980s, and ensure their code is more efficient.
We could also seek to increase clock speed. While this generates excessive heat, potentially damaging chips, more steps could feasibly be taken to try and cool silicon to a natural operating temperature, particularly when dealing with large data centers. It is, however, resource heavy, and there are practical limits. Finding alternatives to silicon is the only viable long–term plan if we want to continue improving speed and efficiency.