Rabat – John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton have won the Nobel Prize in Physics in recognition of their revolutionary work, which established the foundational principles of modern machine learning.
“This year’s two Nobel Laureates in physics have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today’s powerful machine learning,” the Nobel committee said in a statement today.
John Hopfield, an American scientist at Princeton University, and Geoffrey Hinton, a Canadian-British researcher at the University of Toronto, have significantly influenced the technological landscape with their groundbreaking innovations.
Hopfield developed a network that enables the storage and recreation of patterns, while Hinton built upon this foundation to create a new network that employs a different approach.
“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,” says Ellen Moon, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.
The announcement of the physics prize came shortly after American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were honored with the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery of microRNA—small genetic elements that serve as regulatory switches within cells.
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The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics is notable as it marks the 117th awarding of this esteemed honor. In addition to the recognition, the prize includes a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million), funded by a bequest from Alfred Nobel, the award’s founder.
The laureates will receive their honors at a ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.
Last year’s physics prize honored three scientists—French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier, French researcher Pierre Agostini, and Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz. According to the Nobel Committee, the trio won the coveted prize for their pioneering work that offered the first fleeting glimpses into the behavior of spinning electrons, a discovery that could lead to breakthroughs in electronics and disease diagnostics.
The Nobel announcements began on Monday and will continue throughout the week, with the chemistry prize to be announced on Wednesday, followed by the literature prize on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be unveiled on Friday, and the Economics Award will wrap up the announcements on October 14.
