Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, two scientists regarded as the pioneers of AI whose groundbreaking work has shaped the development of modern artificial intelligence (AI), have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. Inspired by the human brain, they created artificial neural networks that mimic the brain’s ability to store and retrieve memories, and learn from input data, revolutionizing the field of machine learning.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday, October 8, stating, “The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Geoffrey E. Hinton and John J. Hopfield ‘for their foundational discoveries that enabled machine learning with artificial neural networks.’”
According to The Guardian, their work began in the 1980s, where they demonstrated how computer programs using neural networks and statistics could serve as the foundation for the entire field of AI. Their discoveries paved the way for innovations such as rapid and accurate language translation, facial recognition systems, and generative AI tools that power popular chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
John Hopfield was recognized for his development of “associative memory,” which allows neural networks to store and reconstruct images and other data patterns, mirroring the brain’s memory function. Meanwhile, Hinton advanced this research by incorporating probability into multilayered neural networks, creating a system that could recognize, classify, and even generate images after being trained with a set of data.
In 1982, Hopfield created a neural network that could store images and information as patterns, mimicking how the brain stores memories. The network could recall images when prompted with the same pattern. Hinton further advanced this using ideas from statistical physics and developed the earliest form of machine learning.
Hinton, a British-Canadian emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, then widely known as the “Godfather of AI” for his pioneering contributions to the field. He previously worked at Google before stepping down last year.
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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that the two scientists will share a prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately USD $1 million) for their “fundamental discoveries enabling machine learning with artificial neural networks.”
“These neural networks have advanced research in a wide range of physics topics, including particle physics, material science, and astrophysics. They have also become a part of everyday life, for instance in facial recognition and language translation,” said Ellen Moons, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.
(Raidi/Agung)
