Computing is Dead, Long Live Computing! Quantum Computing Narratives of Technological Discontinuity

The increased use of digital technologies has fueled organizational changes, triggering different responses to deal with it and the following transformation. This scenario becomes even more complex with disruptive innovations when uncertainty arises about how disruptive technologies might affect current standards and increase threats. Nonetheless, while the literature has emphasized discontinuity and disruption, little attention has been paid to continuity—how organizations maintain core designs and paradigms when threats to business continuity arise. Looking into the context of quantum computing as a disruptive innovation, this interpretive netnographic study explored the narratives from quantum computing practitioners across 37 YouTube videos and 8 online interviews. Building on narrative analysis, 4 unique composite vignettes were developed, presenting narratives of technological continuity and discontinuity. Subsequently, vignettes were synthesized into four mechanics of technological change ("replacement," "reconfiguration," "extension," and "transformation") where quantum can supersede, supplement, and complement digital computing or altogether create a new computing paradigm. These findings expand the current understanding of technological change and quantum computing literature and contribute to the decision-making of how to drive technological transformations.