John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering contributions to artificial intelligence. Their work laid the groundwork for the AI revolution, transforming how we interact with computers and how machines assist in addressing complex societal issues. The Nobel Committee praised their achievements for offering "a completely new way" to harness computing power to solve global challenges.
Hopfield, a professor emeritus at Princeton University, is known for his work in neural networks, which helped shape modern AI systems. Hinton, a professor at the University of Toronto and a leading figure in AI research, is celebrated for his work in deep learning, a cornerstone of today's AI technologies. Notably, Hinton left his role at Google in 2023 to express concerns about the potential risks posed by the very technology he helped develop.
Hinton remarked that AI’s impact could be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution, but with systems that surpass human intellectual capabilities rather than physical strength. While AI promises substantial productivity gains, Hinton cautioned about the dangers, particularly the risk of losing control over advanced AI systems.