John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for Machine Learning Breakthroughs

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for their pioneering discoveries that laid the groundwork for machine learning. The Nobel committee stated in a press release, “This year’s two Nobel Laureates in physics have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today’s powerful machine learning.”

Hopfield conducts his research at Princeton University, while Hinton is affiliated with the University of Toronto. Ellen Moons, a member of the Nobel committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, highlighted their contributions, stating that the laureates “used fundamental concepts from statistical physics to design artificial neural networks that function as associative memories and find patterns in large data sets.”

These artificial neural networks have significantly advanced research in physics and have also integrated into everyday life, playing crucial roles in technologies like facial recognition and language translation.

The physics prize announcement follows the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Medicine to two American scientists for their discovery of microRNA. Last year’s physics Nobel honored three scientists for their breakthrough in observing spinning electrons, which could lead to advancements in electronics and disease diagnostics.

In 2023, the physics prize was awarded to French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier, French scientist Pierre Agostini, and Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz for their research on the subatomic particles fundamental to chemistry, physics, and technology.

The Nobel Prize in Physics carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million), funded by a bequest from the award’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The prize has been awarded 117 times, with this year’s laureates invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.

Nobel announcements will continue with the chemistry prize on Wednesday, followed by the literature prize on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, and the economics award is set for October 14.