Is quantum becoming the next AI infrastructure layer, or is the timeline still too far out?

Quantum computing is starting to get pulled into the same conversation as AI, semiconductors and national scientific computing.

The federal government is supporting quantum through CHIPS-style incentives, national lab initiatives, and post-quantum cybersecurity regulation. Big tech is also still heavily involved through IBM, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia and Honeywell/Quantinuum.

But I’m trying to understand the real timeline.

AI has immediate commercial demand.
Data centers need GPUs right now.
Power demand is visible right now.

Quantum is different. The potential is huge, but broad commercial quantum advantage still seems uncertain.

So is quantum a real near-term AI infrastructure theme, or is it more like a 5-10 year strategic bet?

Where do people think the first real commercial use cases show up?

Optimization?
Chemistry/materials?
Cybersecurity?
Finance?
Drug discovery?
AI model training?
National labs?

Curious what people working closer to the field think.