Amazon Exec Predicts Commercial Quantum Computers Could Launch in 2031

Amazon artificial intelligence executive Peter DeSantis reportedly said Wednesday (June 17) that the first “commercially useful small-scale” quantum computers will appear five to seven years from now.

DeSantis, who is the company’s senior vice president, foundational AI models, custom silicon, quantum computing, told CNBC that once those computers appear, they will get bigger every year and tackle increasingly important problems.

According to the CNBC report, the executive’s prediction is the first such forecast delivered by Amazon about quantum computers, and it lands about in the middle of other experts’ predictions, which range from five to 15 years.

DeSantis said in the report that problems around things such as chemistry and material science are likely to be the first ones to be tackled by quantum computers.

“These are the problems where today we cannot run high enough fidelity simulations in a classic computer, and once we have a quantum computer, we’re going to find some real progress,” DeSantis said, per the report.

DeSantis, who has been with Amazon for 27 years, was appointed to lead the company’s new organization formed in December 2025 that brought together its AI models, silicon development and quantum computing. He reports directly to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

PYMNTS reported in February 2025 that quantum computing harnesses the properties of quantum mechanics to perform complex calculations at unprecedented speeds. The report said this capability could be particularly valuable in the financial sector, where traditional process optimization can require massive computational power.

In May, the Department of Commerce said it planned to provide $2.013 billion in federal incentives to nine companies to support and accelerate their development of quantum computing.

The Department said at the time in a press release that the incentives are designed to strengthen America’s position in quantum computing, a frontier technology that has significant implications for national security and technological resilience.

In April, IBM announced new hubs in Chicago and Cambridge, Massachusetts, at which it will work on quantum computing and other fields.

Earlier in April, BMO said it established an enterprise-wide organization focused on quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The bank said it aimed to develop quantum capabilities to enhance client experiences, increase efficiency and support long-term growth.