Your quantum pilot is over -- now the real work begins

The article argues that quantum computing needs more than a “pilot” demo: organizations must decide which real application they’re preparing to deploy and what it will take to get there. It compares quantum pilots to flight simulators—useful for building capability—but says the conversation should shift toward business owners, defined outcomes, validation, and how the work fits into existing workflows. It describes how pilots may use simplified datasets or reduced models, but real projects must address complications like cost, time-to-answer, and comparison against the best classical approach. It also warns that AI projects often stall without accountable ownership and production readiness.