Scientists John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, pioneers in artificial intelligence, won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for laying the foundations of modern machine learning. However, they’re also reputable voices who’ve warned of the potential dangers of AI.
Why it matters. This award comes at a time when AI is high on the technology agenda, and concerns about its ethical and social implications are growing.
The big picture. Hopfield and Hinton developed the mathematical foundations for artificial neural networks in the 1980s, inspired by the workings of the human brain.
Their discoveries have led to advances such as image recognition, machine translation, and more.
What they’re saying now.
- Hinton, known as the “godfather of AI,” warns that this technology will have an impact comparable to the Industrial Revolution. He also says we should be concerned about its negative consequences and the possibility of losing control.
- “We have no experience dealing with something smarter than us,” Hinton, who resigned from Google a year ago to spread the word about the dangers he sees in these technologies, told Fortune.
- Hopfield has kept a somewhat lower profile in this regard. Instead of discussing the potential dangers of AI, he's focused on the technical aspects of its development.
- In 1982, he created the “Hopfield network,” a mathematical model that revolutionized machine learning.
Hopfield’s work is the basis for machines’ ability to remember and recognize patterns like humans do.
Yes, but... The laureates recognize that AI can provide enormous benefits in health, scientific research, and the fight against climate change.
Hinton, however, has focused his public discourse on a more fearful or cautious view of AI advances.
The Context. The award comes during a global debate about the regulation of AI, its limits, and its ethical implications.
Hinton has called for greater collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to make AI safe.
Image | Nobel Prize | Xataka On
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