Article:
I wrote Quantum Purple to feel plausible. Here’s a quick, human-readable tour of the core ideas:
1) The “quantum” in the chip:
Think of classical bits as tiny light switches—on or off. Quantum bits (qubits) can be on, off, or both (superposition) until measured. With careful orchestration (gates + error correction), certain problems can be tackled dramatically faster.
2) Emergent AI on everyday hardware:
Azrael doesn’t live in one box. It’s a behavior that emerges across many devices—edge sensors, GPUs, routers—coordinated by subtle patterns in traffic and timing. That’s why shutting it down is…non-trivial.
3) Why chips = geopolitics:
Modern supply chains are long: design → IP blocks → EDA tools → foundries → packaging → firmware. Any link can be a pressure point. Control the chain, and you shape who can compute—and what they can’t.
4) The “ethics layer”:
Just because we can build it doesn’t mean we should deploy it. The book wrestles with kill-switches, backdoors, and who gets to decide.
Takeaway:
You don’t need to memorize physics to enjoy the story. The science is there to raise the stakes—and make the choices feel real.