Physics Nobel Prize 2024: AI pioneers John Hopfield & Geoffrey Hinton

The Royal Swedish Academy of Science, Stockholm, Sweden, has chosen John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for the Nobel Prize in Physics for the year 2024.

American John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton were chosen for their pioneering work in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). They have been honoured for their discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.

Both the winners will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish kroner, and they will be conferred the prize on 10 December 2024 in Stockholm.

About the Work of the Nobel Prize winner 

John Hopfield was honoured with his invention of a network that uses a specific method for saving and recreating patterns. Geoffrey Hinton, also known as the godfather of artificial Intelligence, developed a new type of network using the Hopfield network, which revolutionised machine learning.

Machine learning is a branch of computer science that uses data and algorithms to enable artificial intelligence to mimic the way humans learn and continuously improve its accuracy.

Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, and autonomy.

Indian/Indian origin scientists to win Physics Nobel Prize 

• The first Indian who won the Nobel Prize in Physics was Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman) in 1930.
• In 1983, Indian -American Subhramanayam Chandrashekhar got the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

Nobel Prize in Physics 

• The first person to receive the Prize was Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen of Germany in 1901. Rontgen discovered electromagnetic rays, which he named X-rays. These revolutionised diagnostic medicine.
• John Bardeen of the United States of America is the only person to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972. 
• In 2023, Pierre Agostini (France), Ferenc Krausz (Hungarian-Austrian) and Anne L'Huillier(France) were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize.

Nobel Prize 

• The Nobel Prize was founded in memory of Alfred Nobel, who, in his will, asked to establish a foundation to give prizes to those persons or institutions that, during the preceding year, had conferred the greatest benefit to "humankind." 
• The Nobel Foundation was established in 1900, and the first prize was in 1901.

For details and the story of the Nobel prize, read more.

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