Much to almost everyone’s surprise, the Nobel Price in Physics 2024 is awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, for their foundational discoveries and inventions in ML:
When we talk about artificial intelligence, we often mean machine learning using artificial neural networks. This technology was originally inspired by the structure of the brain. In an artificial neural network, the brain’s neurons are represented by nodes that have different values. These nodes influence each other through connections that can be likened to synapses and which can be made stronger or weaker. The network is trained, for example by developing stronger connections between nodes with simultaneously high values. This year’s laureates have conducted important work with artificial neural networks from the 1980s onward.
When the Nobel committee appeals their decision towards one contribution from computer science—in terms of revealed preference, this implies that they prefer AI over the rest of ALL contributions in the field of physics.
Unless their preference is somewhat ill-defined, this would be a big problem. It will be a decision that attracts attention. And we’ll see how this unprecedented award would be perceived in the future.
I do think it’s too dangerous a decision. It’s going to have unintended, possibly unfavorable consequences.