Quantum computing and holograms may sound like mysterious intrigues of science fiction, but physicists and engineers at CES said they represent nuclear-level leaps toward faster ad optimization and immersive advertising experiences.

On Tuesday, quantum computing was a prominent theme at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, where OMG, the media services division within Omnicom, hosted a panel about how the emerging technology will affect marketing. Brands such as Hilton expressed interest in the quantum world, too, considering its potential to handle advanced calculations in their business, said Mark Weinstein, Hilton’s chief marketing officer. For Hilton, hyper-fast computing eventually could apply to multiple aspects of the hotelier’s operations, Weinstein told Ad Age at another corner of CES, where he was attending the C Space tech confab at the Aria Hotel.

Meanwhile, another hospitality brand, Best Western, has been testing hologram-powered immersive experiences in the lobbies of some of its hotels. Its tech partner, Holoconnects, and other hologram purveyors were at CES promoting advances in how their machines communicate through generative AI.

Quantum computing was among the many high-tech topics for brands to soak in at CES, which began Tuesday and runs through Friday. To give an idea of just how fast quantum computers work, consider Google’s achievement last month. The tech giant developed a quantum chip that solves in less than five minutes a computation that would otherwise take today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (or 10^25) years to solve. Now, marketers and brands are wondering what that power could do for their operations.

The interest in quantum computing and holographic technology coincides with marketers’ adoption of generative AI, another fast-moving field that was highly visible at CES this week.

During OMG’s panel, Prineha Narang, a physicist at UCLA who specializes in quantum computing, and Anil Jain, a managing director for Google Cloud, discussed how quantum computing could help marketers adjust their ad strategies in the blink of an eye compared to today’s speeds. OMG North America CEO Ralph Pardo led the talk, which was titled "Quantum Computing: Unlocking the Next Frontier in Marketing Intelligence." Quantum computing refers to machines that leverage quantum mechanical effects to solve problems, and thanks to the recent advancements from Google, the technology is quickly approaching a point where it can be harnessed by businesses.

Classical computers can conduct data analysis quickly but only one at a time, Jain said, while quantum computers conduct multiple data analyses simultaneously. So, if a brand wanted to customize a global ad campaign for different audiences, quantum computing could potentially do that as a simultaneous action, versus having to adjust each variable separately.

For marketers, the effect is akin to “using a nuclear warhead on a nail instead of a hammer,” Jain said. 

Why would a marketer need so much computing power? The speed of quantum computing could ultimately save money, according to Clarissa Season, chief experience officer of Annalect, Omnicom’s data and tech division. Also, measurement as a marketing task is especially primed for quantum disruption, Season said. Today, brands may go weeks before finding out how a campaign performed and quantum computing could return results far faster and across more metrics, Season said.

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Marketers’ recent fixation with all things AI could prove useful as they turn their attention to quantum mechanics in advertising, said Scott Likens, chief AI engineer for PwC. AI and quantum computing will collaborate, with AI solving many of their qualitative issues, such as creating content, and quantum computers solving the larger quantitative issues, Likens said.

Likens was speaking with clients at CES about PwC’s exploration into quantum computing as it relates to solving optimization problems, among other topics. 

For many brands, pricing decisions are another area that quantum computing could affect. Weinstein said that Hilton is looking at how quantum computing could help solve the tricky computations that set room rates, which are complex calculations affected by numerous data points that shape the demand for rooms. 

“Quantum computing is absolutely in the mix of what we’re doing,” Weinstein told Ad Age.

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Another equally futuristic technology in the marketing sphere is holograms, which also are assisted by AI. These interactive 3D representations of real people aren’t new to CES, but recent activity by brands is bringing the space more legitimacy as a way to engage consumers.

Holoconnects, a hologram tech company exhibiting its machines at CES, partnered with Best Western last month to display holograms in 15 hotel lobbies in Scandinavia. The holograms are meant to serve as front-desk assistants: They can retrieve room keys for guests and schedule Ubers, among other tasks, said Andre Smith, co-founder and CEO of Holoconnects.

Generative AI has further bolstered hologram technology, enabling human-like performance, Smith said. Holoconnects’ machines are built on two large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI’s GPT series, which powers ChatGPT.

AI-powered holograms can play a large role in any kind of in-person customer experience thanks to the level of immersion that holograms offer, PwC’s Likens said. At the show, Likens was promoting a hologram partner of PwC’s, Proto, which this past year rolled out at a U.S. airport, following activations in various stadiums.

Holograms could play a part in immersive advertising experiences, Likens said. Indeed, Holoconnects is preparing to roll out such capabilities for retail brands, which it displayed at its showroom booth at CES. One use case is for luxury brands that want to show customers a product they do not have on hand, Smith said. Smith declined to name Holoconnect’s retail brand partners.

While Hilton is using AI chatbot technology in its app to expedite aspects of its guest experience, don’t expect to see holograms in its hotels any time soon, Weinstein said. The importance of implementing new technology in hotels, according to Weinstein, is to free up human staff so they can use their abilities to help guests in other ways. 

“I don’t know why we’re trying to replicate a human,” Weinstein said.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly described PwC’s relationship with Proto.