The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, for their research on machine learning at 4:45 PM on October 8 (Hanoi time).
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences named John J. Hopfield, 91, a professor at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA, and Geoffrey E. Hinton, 77, a British professor at the University of Toronto, Canada. The two scholars utilized physical tools to develop foundational methods for modern machine learning.
When discussing artificial intelligence, machine learning technology utilizing artificial neural networks often comes to mind. This technology was initially inspired by the structure of the brain. In artificial neural networks, brain neurons are represented as nodes with varying values. These nodes interact through connections that can be likened to synapses, which can be strengthened or weakened. The neural network is trained, for example, by developing stronger connections between high-value nodes simultaneously. The two scientists who won this year have made significant contributions to artificial neural networks since the 1980s.
Scientists John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton win the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. (Photo: Nobel Prize).
John Hopfield invented a network that uses methods to store and recreate patterns. One can imagine the nodes as pixels. The Hopfield Network utilizes physics to describe the characteristics of materials based on atomic spins—the property that makes each atom a tiny magnet. The entire network is described in a way that corresponds to the energy within the spin system in physics, trained by finding values for the connections between nodes, allowing the stored images to have low energy. When a distorted or incomplete image is input into the Hopfield network, it systematically works through the nodes and updates their values to reduce the network’s energy. As a result, the network takes steps to find the stored image that most closely resembles the imperfect image just inputted.
Geoffrey Hinton used the Hopfield network as a foundation for a new network employing a different method: the Boltzmann Machine. This machine can learn to identify characteristic features in a specific type of data. Hinton employs tools from statistical physics—the science of systems constructed from many similar parts. He trains the machine by inputting examples that are likely to occur when the machine operates. The Boltzmann Machine can be used to classify images or generate new examples similar to the samples it was trained on. Hinton’s work has played a crucial role in the explosive growth of machine learning today.
Hinton, often referred to as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI), expressed deep astonishment upon receiving the award. When asked about the potential of the technology he helped develop, he remarked, “AI will have a tremendous impact” on society.
“It can be compared to the Industrial Revolution. But instead of surpassing humans in physical strength, it will outpace humans in intellectual capability. We have no experience in what will happen when there are things smarter than humans,” he stated in a phone interview following the Nobel announcement.
Ellen Moons, chair of the Nobel Physics Committee, commented, “The work of the laureates has brought great benefits. In physics, we use artificial neural networks in many fields, such as developing new materials with certain properties.“
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier, for their research related to electron particles within atoms and molecules.
The Nobel Prize is an international award established by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm since 1901, based on the wealth of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor and entrepreneur.
The prize is awarded annually to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions in the fields of Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and Peace. In 1968, the Central Bank of Sweden established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics.
Each award consists of a medal, a personal certificate, and a variable monetary prize. From 1901 to 2023, the prize has been awarded 622 times to 1,002 individuals and organizations worldwide.
