‘Godfather of AI’ wins Nobel Prize for pioneering AI and machine learning --[Reported by Umva mag]

Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, specifically for their work on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

British-Canadian Professor Hinton is sometimes referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” while American Professor John Hopfield is a professor at Princeton University in the US. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that the pair were jointly awarded “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”

Did you miss the announcement of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics earlier today?

Watch the very moment the prize was announced and see the full announcement: https://t.co/jKqXhq4sqF#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/OqAAdzPd7w

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2024

“The laureates’ work has already been of the greatest benefit. In physics we use artificial neural networks in a vast range of areas, such as developing new materials with specific properties,” says Ellen Moons, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

Meanwhile, it has been a big week for Nobel Prizes in the world of artificial intelligence as DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Director John Jumper, shared the chemistry prize with David Baker, who is head of the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington. Hassabis and Jumper won the award for “protein structure prediction,” while Baker’s was for “computational protein design.”

Hinton resigned from Google in 2023 and has warned about the dangers of machines that could outsmart humans. However, following the announcement, the 76-year-old said “I had no idea this would happen. I’m very surprised.”

Why AI is at the forefront of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

The University of Toronto professor’s groundbreaking work on neural networks laid the foundation for modern AI systems like ChatGPT.

Neural networks are a type of artificial intelligence inspired by the way the human brain learns and processes information. They allow AI to learn from experience much like a human, a process known as deep learning.

Hinton described his contributions to artificial neural networks as revolutionary. His pioneering research on neural networks paved the way for today’s AI systems, including ChatGPT. “It’s going to be like the Industrial Revolution,” he said, “but instead of our physical capabilities, it’s going to exceed our intellectual capabilities.”

Neural networks, a fundamental concept in artificial intelligence, mimic the learning and processing mechanisms of the human brain, allowing AI to learn from experience in a manner similar to humans—something called deep learning.

Despite his accomplishments, ReadWrite has previously reported that Hinton expressed concerns about the future of AI. When asked last year if he regretted his life’s work, he admitted he would still make the same choices but added, “I worry that the overall consequences of this might be systems that are more intelligent than us that might eventually take control.”

What is the Hopfield network?

The committee also provided background information regarding why the scientists received the prize, stating that the “Hopfield network” was similar to that of the brain’s associative memory. The 91-year-old is said to have discovered this pattern in 1982.

”I’m still somewhat in shock.”

In this interview recorded shortly after the announcement, 2024 physics laureate John Hopfield talks about how he found out about the prize when he was going through his e-mails. ”It didn't sink it until I got to the fourth e-mail!”#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/9U1xjovLYk

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2024

It explained: “Hopfeld described the overall state of the network with a property that is equivalent to the energy in the spin system found in physics; the energy is calculated using a formula that uses all the values of the nodes and all the strengths of the connections between them.”

When the network is given an incomplete or slightly distorted pattern, the method can find the stored pattern that is most similar.

The winners share a prize fund worth 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million).

Featured image: YouTube @bhadeshia123 / Ramsey Cardy / Collision via Sportsfile

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