Quantum thermal-state and ground-state preparation are one of the fundamental algorithmic primitives with broad applications in quantum many-body physics, quantum chemistry, and materials science. In this talk, I will introduce dissipative quantum algorithms for preparing the thermal or ground state of a given physical or chemical Hamiltonian. I will begin with an overview of a popular approach that has gained significant traction in recent years, based on Lindblad dynamics. I will then present a more recent but implementation friendly framework for thermal and ground-state preparation rooted in system–bath interaction models that comes with rigorous complexity guarantees, along with new results that extend our theoretical understanding of system–bath interaction beyond what was previously known.