Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to UofT Professor for AI Breakthroughs

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“The laureates’ work has already been of the greatest benefit. In physics we use artificial neural networks in a vast range of areas, such as developing new materials with specific properties.”

Ellen Moons, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics

Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to UofT Professor for AI Breakthroughs

In recognition of his pioneering work and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks, University of Toronto Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, paving the way for the current AI revolution and the future of technology.

Hinton shared the honour with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University. They are credited with wielding tools from physics to advance basic research in the field. Specifically, Hopfield created an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images in data, while Hinton invented a way to find properties in data and perform tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.

Hinton was selected for the high-profile award for his work on the Boltzmann machine that can classify images and generate new examples of the pattern on which it was trained. Hinton and his graduate students later built upon this work to help usher in today’s rapid development of machine learning – a technology that now underpins a host of applications ranging from large language models such as ChatGPT to self-driving cars.

His work highlights the importance of curiosity-based research and the kind of homegrown university discoveries and innovation that have immeasurable impacts on the world around us and helps keep Ontario competitive.

For more information, visit University of Toronto.