Quantum Scientists Achieve True Randomness, Undermining Encryption

Researchers at ETH Zurich, led by physics professor Renato Renner, created a two‑qubit system entangled over a 30‑meter distance that generates "true randomness" immune to both classical and quantum attacks. The results, published in Nature on May 27 2026, demonstrate that conventional devices are fully deterministic, with Renner noting, "Any conventional electronic device … is completely deterministic. It cannot just toss a coin because everything that goes on … is basically completely predictable."

A separate Nature paper described a quantum experiment that amplified weak randomness into sequences indistinguishable from perfect randomness, passing the strictest statistical tests. The breakthrough promises stronger cryptographic keys and could render current encryption vulnerable to future quantum‑based hacking, though scaling the technology for commercial use remains a challenge.

The findings represent a major step for quantum information science and could reshape security protocols across digital communications.