US scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking discoveries that laid the foundation for machine learning, the Nobel Committee announced on Tuesday.
“This year’s laureates have harnessed tools from physics to develop methods that are central to today’s powerful machine learning technologies,” the committee stated.
“Machine learning, particularly through artificial neural networks, is currently transforming science, engineering, and everyday life.”
Hopfield, a professor at Princeton University, developed an associative memory model capable of storing and reconstructing images and other data patterns. Hinton, a professor at the University of Toronto, invented a method that autonomously identifies features in data, such as recognizing specific elements within images.
“I am flabbergasted. I had no idea this would happen,” Hinton said in a phone call during the press conference announcing the award.
A prominent figure in artificial intelligence, Hinton left Google in 2023 to freely discuss the potential dangers of AI, expressing concern that computers could surpass human intelligence sooner than anticipated.
“While machine learning offers immense benefits, its rapid advancement has also raised significant concerns about our future,” noted Ellen Moons, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.
“We collectively bear the responsibility for ensuring that this new technology is used safely and ethically for the benefit of humanity.”
The award includes a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.1 million), which will be shared between the winners. The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is regarded as the most prestigious honor for physicists globally.
Established in the will of Alfred Nobel, the prizes for science, literature, and peace have been awarded since 1901, with the Nobel Prize in Economics added later. The field of physics often garners significant attention, featuring past winners such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Enrico Fermi.
Last year’s prize was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier for their work in creating ultra-short light pulses that can capture changes within atoms, potentially enhancing disease detection.
The Physics Prize is the second Nobel awarded this week; U.S. scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun received the Medicine Prize for their discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation, illuminating how cells specialize.
