Nobel award for pioneering AI alumnus
Edinburgh alumnus Geoffrey Hinton has been awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on machine learning.
Hinton – who completed his PhD in artificial intelligence (AI) at Edinburgh – shares the 2024 award with Professor John Hopfield of Princeton University.
The duo were recognised for their groundbreaking work on artificial neural networks, which laid the groundwork for many methods behind generative AI, such as large language models powering chatbots.
Nobel recognition
Hinton – often referred to as the Godfather of AI – received his PhD from the University in 1978 and was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science in 2001.
He is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Hinton is the latest academic with links to the University to be awarded a Nobel Prize. Some 20 Nobel laureates are directly affiliated with the University as alumni, faculty members or researchers.
The 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 different areas of AI.
The Generative AI Laboratory (GAIL) – which was announced in 2023 – unites the University’s world-leading research and innovation in AI to develop safe solutions and systems for industry and government.
Geoffrey Hinton's Nobel Prize celebrates the transformative power of artificial intelligence, solidifying the University of Edinburgh's legacy as a crucible for pioneering minds and groundbreaking research.
I am delighted at the news that Professor Geoffrey Hinton has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and I congratulate him on behalf of the University for this remarkable achievement. The significance of his contributions to the field of artificial intelligence cannot be overstated, and it is tremendous that his groundbreaking work is being recognised at the very highest level.
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Image credit: Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach