This week, AI researchers received two Nobel Prizes, highlighting their significant contributions to science and acknowledging AI as a leading force in scientific advancement. Significance: There’s an ongoing debate regarding the transformative power of AI on the world, but this week’s awards emphasize the ways AI is already reshaping scientific practices. Overview: The groundwork for AI was established over several decades, yet its notable breakthroughs have gained significant recognition only recently, particularly with the rise of chatbots and generative AI. Key updates: On Tuesday, Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield were honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for their contributions to AI from the late 1970s through the 1980s.

The Nobel committee also awarded the chemistry prize on Wednesday to Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, DeepMind director John Jumper, and University of Washington professor David Baker for their innovative work on essential proteins. Important to note: The Nobel Prize is frequently bestowed for research conducted many years prior, once its effects on humanity can be clearly evaluated as having "the greatest benefit. " Hassabis expressed last year that his enduring drive in AI is to create learning systems that accelerate scientific discovery. Caution: During a press conference on Wednesday, Hassabis stated, "It's far too premature to talk about AI being involved in all prizes. " Notably, three of the Nobel laureates have connections to Google, with Hinton resigning last year to voice his concerns regarding the potential dangers posed by AI. What to monitor: AI critic Gary Marcus highlights that Hinton and others advocate for the expansion of AI through increasingly sophisticated neural networks that learn from extensive data sets, which is the foundation of generative AI.