Geoffrey Hinton, a renowned computer science professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and 2024 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, has received the 2024 VinFuture Grand Prize, worth $3 million. This award, presented by the VinFuture Foundation in Vietnam, celebrates significant scientific advancements that enhance human life and promote sustainability.
Hinton, known as the 'godfather of AI,' shares the prize with notable figures in the field: Yoshua Bengio, Jen-Hsun Huang, Yann LeCun, and Fei-Fei Li. They are recognized for their pivotal contributions to deep learning, which is transforming various sectors including healthcare, transportation, and agriculture.
Leah Cowen, U of T's vice-president, praised Hinton's groundbreaking research in neural networks, which has evolved from a niche area to a cornerstone of modern AI. The VinFuture Foundation highlighted Hinton and Bengio's work on deep learning algorithms, while LeCun was acknowledged for his role in developing convolutional neural networks, Huang for advancements in computational architectures, and Li for her contributions to computer vision.
During the award ceremony, Hinton expressed gratitude for being recognized alongside esteemed colleagues and emphasized the collaborative nature of their achievements. He also noted the importance of the prize in acknowledging the foundational work of Huang and Li in AI.
The VinFuture Prize aims to honor scientific innovations aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The ceremony was attended by Vietnam's Prime Minister and broadcast live, highlighting the global significance of the event.
As Hinton prepares to accept his Nobel Prize in Physics on December 10, he continues to advocate for responsible AI development, a concern he raised after leaving Google earlier this year.