[08/10/2024] Professor Geoffrey Hinton, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence in 1978 has been awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on machine learning. He shares the 2024 award with Professor John Hopfield of Princeton University. Photo used by permission of Geoffrey Hinton The duo were recognised for their groundbreaking work on artificial neural networks, which underpin many modern applications of artificial intelligence, such as chatbots. According to the Nobel Committee’s announcement the two awardees have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today’s powerful machine learning. John Hopfield created an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images and other types of patterns in data. Geoffrey Hinton invented a method that can autonomously find properties in data, and so perform tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures. Link to the Nobel Committee’s announcement Geoffrey Hinton's Nobel Prize celebrates the transformative power of artificial intelligence, solidifying Edinburgh University's legacy as a crucible for pioneering minds and ground-breaking research. Professor Helen Hastie Head of School of Informatics Nobel recognition Hinton is also an honorary graduate of the University of Edinburgh with a degree of Doctor of Science in awarded in 2001. He’s a fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. He was awarded the first David E. Rumelhart prize (2001), the IJCAI award for research excellence (2005), the Killam prize for Engineering (2012), the IEEE James Clerk Maxwell Gold medal (2016), and the ACM Turing Prize (2018) among other awards. He worked at Sussex University, University College London, the University of California San Diego, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of Toronto, where he is now an emeritus distinguished professor. The Nobel Prizes are awarded annually by a group of Swedish and Norwegian committees in recognition of internationally significant cultural and scientific advances. AI expertise Edinburgh has been at the forefront of AI research for more than six decades, establishing Europe’s first dedicated research group on the topic in 1963. The University is today one of Europe’s largest centres for AI research, with hundreds of researchers conducting leading-edge research into fundamental and applied AI. The Generative AI Laboratory (GAIL) – which opened in 2023 – unites the University’s world-leading research and innovation in AI to develop safe solutions and systems for industry and government and bring substantial benefits to those who use them. Related links Link to the announcement on the Nobel Prize website Link to the announcement on the University of Edinburgh website List of the Nobel Prize winners with the University of Edinburgh Links Link to the 60 years of computer science and AI website Link to the announcement about Hinton winning the Turing Award (2018) Publication date 08 Oct, 2024
