Abstract: Described are techniques for optimizing a quantum kernel for a support vector machine task. The techniques include receiving, by digital processor, a set of training data, each member of the set representing a data vector (x) and a label (y) identifying the respective member to be part of either a first class or a second class The techniques further include providing, by the digital processor, the quantum kernel comprising a set of unitary operations adapted for acting on a zero state of qubits of a universal quantum circuit The techniques further include performing, by a quantum processor comprising a set of interlinked quantum circuits, an alignment of the quantum kernel using an optimization algorithm based on the set of training data on a primal problem approach of the support vector machine task.