Stockholm
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their discoveries that enabled machine learning with artificial neural networks. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday.
The two laureates developed methods based on physics that are important for today’s machine learning. Their work helped in finding patterns in information. Many people have seen how computers can translate languages, interpret images, and conduct conversations. This technology is also important for sorting and analyzing large amounts of data.
Machine learning has grown rapidly in the last 15 to 20 years, using a structure called an artificial neural network. This allows machines to mimic functions like memory and learning. The laureates contributed to this progress by using physics concepts to create technologies that process information in networks.
Hopfield developed an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images. His network can find and recreate patterns, even from incomplete or distorted data. Hinton invented a method that identifies specific elements in pictures by finding properties in data.
Artificial neural networks were inspired by the structure of the brain, with nodes representing neurons. The connections between nodes can be adjusted to strengthen learning. The work of Hopfield and Hinton has been beneficial across various fields, including the development of new materials.
