Global Lens

School of Cities

Entrepreneurship

India

Innis College

Urban Studies

Subheadline

Undergraduate course in partnership with Ashoka University, near New Delhi, is one of many initiatives now facilitated by the U of T India Foundation

Samantha “Sam” Guevara says accompanying two waste pickers in Pune, India as they went about their daily work offered a window into the social dynamics of the city of more than seven million.

“What interested me was the stigmatization that waste pickers tend to receive from the general public juxtaposed with the pride they have in their work,” says Guevara, a fourth- year student at the ��߲ݴ�ý who is pursuing a double major in human geography and political science.

The workers she joined belong to SWaCH Waste Pickers, a co-operative of self-employed waste collectors who are contributing to the region’s environmental and financial well-being.

Guevara, meanwhile, is one of nine students from U of T who, along with nine students from India’s Ashoka University, a private liberal arts institution near New Delhi, recently explored three city-building projects identified by Indian non-profit and civil society organizations as part of a U of T undergraduate course.

Students from U of T and Ashoka gather at the Centre for Development Studies and Activities in Pune for a lecture by a local consulting firm (photo courtesy of Reyansh Lokare)

Offered through the U of T India Foundation and School of Cities India, the International Multidisciplinary Urban Capstone Projects course also saw students join guides for walking tours in Mumbai, attend lectures and develop what Aditi Mehta, an assistant professor, teaching stream, in urban studies at Innis College, calls “critical consciousness.”

The course is one of numerous activities facilitated in recent months by the U of T India Foundation, a partnership between U of T and Tata Trusts. Others include: a pitch competition and incubation program with Social Alpha, an incubator for social impact startups, that saw U of T faculty members participate on the technical jury that helped select 10 winning India-based entrepreneurs; and research projects that bring together U of T faculty members and India-based partners to work on building more resilient and sustainable cities.

Kunjpreet Arora, co-founder and director of India-based brick and paver upcycling startup Angirus, delivers a presentation at a social launch event (photo courtesy of Jake Karpouzis)

For the students involved, Mehta says questioning “why things are the way they are” and understanding their place in the world is a crucial part of their education – and one of the many takeaways they will bring back to Toronto.

“It’s about seeing how things are done in the east and thinking about how we can bring some of this problem solving back to the west,” says Mehta, who accompanied the students to India.

Jake Karpouzis, a fourth-year student in public policy and urban studies, spent his time exploring how the makeshift parking lots and garbage dumps beneath city overpasses, or flyovers, in Pune can be transformed into more valuable spaces that better serve surrounding communities.

“We're putting together a blog of the trip so the various organizations involved can read about it and take those experiences back to the classroom,” says Karpouzis, adding that he was excited by the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in urban studies in another country.

Ashoka University students speak to a vegetable vendor under a flyover in Pune (photo courtesy of Jake Karpouzis)

Kaitlyn Chan, a fourth-year urban studies student, concentrated on transgender studies while in India.

“Our program focused on skill development for the transgender community in Pune,” Chan says. “That includes access to government interventions, employment opportunities, self-efficacy and creating safe spaces.”

Professor Mehta, who created much of the programming with the U of T India Foundation, says the course was often life-changing for U of T students.

“The Indian students were amazing. They really took it upon themselves to be hosts for the Canadian students and they just kept asking, ‘When can we come to Toronto?’,” she says, adding that she is working on a reciprocal learning exchange in both countries.

Karan Singh, a professor of computer science and the associate director of School of Cities India, sees the capstone course as an opportunity to further strengthen U of T’s global reputation.

“We’re looking at U of T as a global brand and in India that is increasingly evident,” he says.

Professor Aditi Mehta (second from left) with students from U of T and Ashoka University and SWaCH workers on the streets of Pune (photo courtesy of Reyansh Lokare)

Andrea Russell, director of international relations in U of T’s Office of the Vice-President, International, says she’s thrilled with how the experience resonated with U of T students.

“It’s a wonderful example of global collaboration and an amazing opportunity for our students to increase their global fluency.”

Changemakers: U of T students awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarships

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:30:32 +0000

Changemakers: U of T students awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarships

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/21/2024 - 09:30

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Victoria College students Noah Rudder, left, and Amy Mann, right, have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships (photo by Will Dang)

Joe Howell

Topic

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Undergraduate Students

Victoria College

Subheadline

Noah Rudder and Amy Mann will pursue fully-funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford

Noah Rudder was rehearsing for a starring role as the detective Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express at the ��߲ݴ�ý’s Hart House Theatre when he received the momentous news: he had just become a Rhodes Scholar.

The world’s oldest graduate fellowship, the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship enables recipients to pursue fully-funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford.

It is awarded following a rigorous global selection process.

“I was so grateful – I feel at home in the theatre, and there’s no better place for me to have taken that call,” says Rudder, a student at Victoria College who’s completing the peace, conflict and justice program at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science alongside a major in drama at the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies.

Rudder is one of two U of T students to be named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar this year. He is joined by Amy Mann, a fellow Victoria College student who’s pursuing a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and statistics.

Mann says she’s looking forward to continuing her research in mathematical biology at Oxford.

“I want to keep studying math and seeing how we can apply it to these big problems – like considering social factors of disease transmission to improve intervention strategies,” says Mann, who is the president of the U of T Mathematics Union.

The pair are among 11 Canadian students who will head to Oxford next fall, joining more than 100 young scholars from around the world.

“On behalf of the entire U of T community, I would like to congratulate Noah Rudder and Amy Mann on this tremendous achievement,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“We wish them continued success in their scholarship and look forward to hearing about their accomplishments in the years to come.”

Rhonda McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the ��߲ݴ�ý, said she was “over the moon” for Rudder and Mann. “It is a true privilege to interact with this caliber of young person,” McEwen said.

Rudder, who hails from Ajax, Ont., hopes to combine his interests in social justice and the arts by pursuing master of public policy and a master of fine arts degrees at Oxford.

The president of the Peace, Conflict and Justice Society, Rudder was instrumental in Victoria University’s signing of the Scarborough Charter, a commitment by institutions across Canada to combat anti-Black racism and foster Black inclusion in higher education. “Working with Vic’s Office of the President on the Scarborough Charter inspired me to contribute to an area that I can make an impact,” he says. “I think there are a lot of opportunities to push for spaces for Black individuals at the highest level of education.”

He has also conducted research with the World Bank’s Office of the Chief Economist, focusing on knowledge generation in African countries before 2009 – and has written for and performed in the Toronto Fringe Festival and various U of T productions.

Mann, meanwhile, is passionate about leveraging math and science to address pressing global challenges.

In 2021, she co-authored a paper, published in the journal Atmosphere-Ocean, that examined the reduction in occurrences of cold weather in the Canadian Arctic. She’s now focused on the intersection of climate change and public health. Her current research project seeks to create climate-dependent models of malaria transmission in Cameroon.

She has been involved in sustainability and other causes. At Victoria College, she served as the sustainability commissioner on the Students’ Administrative Council and a student member of the Board of Regents. She also co-founded the student community garden and volunteers at The Common Table, a drop-in program that supports individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty.

“Congratulations to Amy and Noah, both from Victoria College, on being named Rhodes Scholars,” said Antoinette Handley, acting dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science and professor in the department of political science. “Their academic achievements and commitment to leadership and civic engagement are a testament to their hard work and vision.

“We’re incredibly proud to have them represent both Victoria College and the Faculty of Arts & Science at Oxford, and we look forward to the many ways they’ll continue to make a difference.”

McEwen, meanwhile, said Rudder and Mann exemplify the potential that U of T’s younger generation of budding scholars hold in tackling important challenges.

“Both students share a passion for people and embody the multidisciplinary approach needed to address the ‘wicked problems’ of the world – complex issues requiring insights from multiple disciplines,” McEwen said.

“They are curious but compassionate people who will challenge existing frameworks for a better tomorrow. When you meet either of them, you understand that you are with someone who is going to continue to do amazing things.”

U of T among top 15 universities globally for graduate employability: Times Higher Education

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 21:57:35 +0000

U of T among top 15 universities globally for graduate employability: Times Higher Education

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 11/20/2024 - 16:57

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Times Higher Education

Subheadline

The Global University Employability Ranking 2025 is based on survey data and reflects the opinions of large employers

��߲ݴ�ý graduates are among the most highly regarded job candidates in the world.

In its latest ranking of graduate employability, Times Higher Education placed U of T 14^th globally and eighth among public universities. U of T was also the top-ranked public university in North America.

The Global University Employability Ranking 2025 is based on survey data and reflects the opinions of large employers.

“��߲ݴ�ý graduates are some of the best educated on the planet,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“The world-class learning opportunities provided to our students and the quality of our scholarship and research give our graduates a distinct advantage in the workforce.”

The annual ranking evaluated 250 universities from 44 countries around the world. It was designed and commissioned by Emerging, a French human resources consultancy. The survey participants are recruiters or managers who supervise five or more new graduates per year; most work in companies with more than 500 employees.

There were 13,240 respondents to the survey from 33 countries. More than 129,000 votes were cast, up from 100,700 votes last year. Approximately 1,000 universities were assessed to derive the final ranking of 250 universities.

U of T has consistently ranked among the top 15 globally in the Times Higher Education employability ranking over the past decade, holding the 12^th spot last year.

This year’s edition of the ranking was led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Harvard University and the University of Cambridge rounded out the top five.

Four Canadian universities joined U of T in the top 100: McGill University (31^st), University of British Columbia (36^th), Université de Montréal (84^th) and McMaster University (88^th).

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

First 48 Hours: Doc about U of T international students now streaming on YouTube

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:58:17 +0000

First 48 Hours: Doc about U of T international students now streaming on YouTube Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 11/20/2024 - 08:58

Topic

Centre for International Experience

Student Life

A 22-minute documentary, International Students: First 48 Hours in Canada, directed by Cal Campos and shot at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, is now streaming on YouTube.

The film follows international students’ journeys to the ��߲ݴ�ý using cell phone footage and sit-down interviews. A joint partnership between U of T’s Centre for International Experience and the Innovation Hub in the division of Student Life, the documentary was screened across U of T’s three campuses in October and November.

Julia Allworth, the Innovation Hub’s manager of innovation projects, says the goal was to shine a light on the multitude of diverse global perspectives that make up nearly a third of the university’s student body.

“We wanted to zoom in on what it’s like for students when they first arrive in Canada. What challenges do they face as they step off the plane and into Canada? What decisions do they need to make along the way? International students bring tremendous value to the university.”

U of T ranked among top 10 universities globally in five subjects: ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:30:13 +0000

U of T ranked among top 10 universities globally in five subjects: ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 11/18/2024 - 15:30

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(photo by Matthew Dochstader/Paradox Images)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Rotman School of Management

Meric Gertler

Rankings

Shanghai Ranking Consultancy

Sociology

The ��߲ݴ�ý has placed among the top 10 universities globally in five subjects – sociology (2^nd), medical technology (5^th), public health (7^th), finance (8^th) and management (10^th) – in the latest ShanghaiRanking Consultancy rankings by subject.

U of T also ranked in the top 100 globally in 42 subjects in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024, released last week – a feat matched only by the University of Michigan.

Among Canadian universities, U of T ranked first in 27 subjects. That’s more than any other institution.

“The ��߲ݴ�ý’s performance in the latest Shanghai subject rankings underscores our academic excellence across an extremely broad range of fields,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“These results are a testament to the talent and dedication of our world-leading researchers and scholars.”

More than 1,900 universities across 96 countries and regions are listed in the 2024 edition of the Shanghai subject rankings, which cover 55 subjects across natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences.

This year, the methodology was updated with four new indicators, increasing the total to nine. The new evaluation criteria include the number of faculty who are: recipients of significant awards, chief editors of academic journals, leaders in international academic organizations and considered highly cited researchers.

Existing criteria continue to assess research output, quality and influence, international collaboration and other academic awards.

Of the 55 subject areas covered by the rankings, U of T ranked in the top 50 globally in 28 subjects and in the top 25 globally in 21 subjects.

The updated methodology resulted in significant changes for U of T in several subjects, including 25 where U of T moved up the rankings. Notable gains included: chemistry, which moved into 37^th place from outside the top 50; political science, which climbed 23 spots to 18^th; biology, which rose 12 spots to 21^st; human biology, which rose 12 spots to 24^th; and computer science, which climbed seven places to 17^th. U of T declined in 18 subjects and remain unchanged in 5 subjects.

The ShanghaiRanking Consultancy also produces the influential Academic Ranking of World Universities, the most recent edition of which ranked U of T as Canada’s top university and 26^th in the world.

How did she do it? Three questions with ��߲ݴ�ý grad who speaks 11 languages

mattimar — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:31:59 +0000

How did she do it? Three questions with ��߲ݴ�ý grad who speaks 11 languages

mattimar Wed, 10/30/2024 - 16:31

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Originally from Malaysia, Xin Yi Lim is graduating from U of T with a master’s in Hispanic linguistics with a collaborative specialization in diaspora and transnational studies from the department of Spanish and Portuguese (photo by Nicole In)

Topic

Graduate Students

Subheadline

“My brain works in different channels … I’ve developed resources, tools and mechanism to prevent cross-linguistic contamination”

Xin Yi Lim arrived at the ��߲ݴ�ý in 2019 with plans to become a cardiac surgeon, but she has since achieved a feat many would consider equally daunting: learning to speak 11 languages.

After shifting her focus during her undergrad, Lim is set to graduate from U of T this week with a master’s in Hispanic linguistics with a collaborative specialization in diaspora and transnational studies from the department of Spanish and Portuguese in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Originally from Malaysia, Lim says she fell in love with Toronto’s diverse community and hopes to continue living in the city. Following fall convocation, she hopes to pursue a career that combines her passions for graphic design and languages.

“I wish to work in a capacity where I can converse and capitalize on all these skills I have amassed over the years,” says Lim, who also earned her bachelor’s degree from U of T and is considered a hyperpolyglot – the term generally used to describe someone who can speak more than five languages.

“I’d love to continue making meaningful connections with people and touching the hearts of others by learning their culture and language.”

In the near term, Lim is eager to find opportunities in entertainment – perhaps with Disney on Ice or Royal Caribbean Cruises – to showcase her figure skating skills. She competed with the Malaysian junior national figure skating team and was a member of U of T’s Varsity training squad.

As she prepares to embark on a new chapter, Lim spoke with U of T News about how she learned so many languages, her university experience and, of course, what language she plans to tackle next.

How did you learn all these languages?

I will give a lot of credit to my home country of Malaysia. Growing up with five languages in my household built my brain to absorb different languages.

My brain works in different channels and compartments. With a photographic memory, learning languages is like translating these photographs in my head into these mental compartments.

Due to my perfectionism in linguistics and eagerness to not make mistakes, I’ve developed resources, tools and mechanism to prevent cross-linguistic contamination. For languages that are in similar linguistic families – like Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish – I created mechanisms for active recall to help me avoid mixing them up while speaking.

How has studying at U of T shaped your path?

I came to U of T wanting to become a cardiac surgeon and now I have 11 languages under my belt. After my third semester of doing life sciences, I quickly found my love for linguistics and political activism.

I had to take political science and social science – and if I had never taken these courses, I wouldn’t have known I was so passionate about diaspora studies, transnational studies, anthropology or sociology.

That’s one thing about U of T that I really appreciate. Some may complain about its academic rigour, but I think it worked out in my favour. The well-rounded education I received here is hard to find in other institutions in Canada.

Being at U of T has enriched and amplified my experience in language and my love for different cultures. I took Italian in my second year and Turkish in my third year. In my final year, I had some wiggle room for more electives. So, I decided to take Portuguese for Spanish speakers, which was so super, super helpful. Then I took French and Swahili.

I believe the selection of different languages at U of T offers a great plethora of knowledge and I want to keep that going.

If you could instantly become fluent in one language, which one would it be?

Arabic is incredibly difficult to learn. I would really like to master this language – hopefully soon.

I also want to learn Greek, Albanian and Armenian, seeing as there is a huge population of these three ethnic groups in Toronto and I want to be able to connect with those cultures.

U of T ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:23:26 +0000

U of T ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 10/11/2024 - 10:23

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(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Times Higher Education

Subheadline

Among public universities, U of T ranked third in North America and 10th in the world

The ��߲ݴ�ý has once again secured its position as a leading global institution in higher education, maintaining its rank of 21^st in the world in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

In addition to being the top-ranked university in Canada, U of T ranked third among public universities in North America and 10^th among public universities globally – again, the same as the previous year.

It also ranked 16^th overall in Times Higher Education’s “research environment” pillar.

“This closely watched international ranking underscores the ��߲ݴ�ý’s excellence in research and teaching in an increasingly competitive sector,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“It also reflects the ongoing impact of the university’s scholars and researchers, whose contributions draw exceptional students and faculty from around the world to our three campuses.”

In the 2025 edition of its annual ranking, Times Higher Education evaluated 2,092 research-intensive universities from 115 countries and territories. That’s 185 new entries when compared to last year.

The ranking assesses schools across five broad pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook. It draws from data sources that include 157 million citations, 18 million research publications and survey responses from more than 93,000 scholars worldwide.

The top five universities in the ranking this year were: University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University and University of Cambridge.

Other Canadian schools in the top 100 were: University of British Columbia (41^st) and McGill University (45^th).

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:26:59 +0000

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/10/2024 - 12:26

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Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the ��߲ݴ�ý and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, takes questions during a virtual press conference hosted by U of T (image via YouTube)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Department of Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence

Geoffrey Hinton

Nobel Prize

President Meric Gertler

Subheadline

"If you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong"

Empower curiosity-driven research. Follow your convictions. Think not just about how to advance technology, but how to direct its use for good.

These were among the key messages delivered by Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the ��߲ݴ�ý and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, during an Oct. 8 press conference held by the university to mark his historic award.

Widely regarded as “the godfather of AI,” Hinton was named a co-winner of the prize – alongside John J. Hopfield of Princeton University – for his work on Boltzmann machines and artificial neural networks, which laid the groundwork for advancements in AI and stimulated new research directions in physics.

U of T President Meric Gertler hailed Hinton for having “a profound impact on multiple fields and disciplines,” crediting “his leadership and exemplary mentorship of young scholars” with helping U of T become a global leader in AI and machine learning.

“I think one cannot overstate the impact of a win like this on the ability of Canada, Toronto and the ��߲ݴ�ý to be able to welcome talented newcomers, great students and wonderful faculty from across the country and around the world because of the recognition that arises with Geoff’s win,” President Gertler said.

For his part, Hinton echoed his remarks from earlier in the day that he was “flabbergasted” to receive the prize and pleased that the Nobel committee recognized the advancements in artificial neural networks.

He also answered questions about his influences, legacy and how it feels to go from being an obscure researcher who toiled in a largely forsaken field to a Nobel Laureate – and his advice for researchers who hope to one day follow in his footsteps.

Here are five key themes that emerged from Hinton's news conference:

His legacy

“I’m hoping AI will lead to tremendous benefits, to tremendous increases in productivity and to a better life for everybody. I’m convinced that it will do that in health care.

“My worry is that it may also lead to bad things, and in particular, when we get things more intelligent than ourselves, no one really knows whether we’re going to be able to control them.

“We don’t know how to avoid [catastrophic AI scenarios] at present. That’s why we urgently need more research. So I’m advocating that our best young researchers, or many of them, should work on AI safety and governments should force large companies to provide the computational facilities they need to do that.”

A collaborative effort

“I think of the prize as a recognition of a large community of people who worked on artificial neural networks for many years.

“I’d particularly like to acknowledge my two main mentors: David Rumelhart, with whom I worked on the backpropagation algorithm … and my colleague Terry Sejnowsky, who I worked with a lot in the 1980s on Boltzmann machines and who taught me a lot about the brain.

“I’d also like to acknowledge my students. I was particularly fortunate to have many clever students, much cleverer than me, who actually made things work. They’ve gone on to do great things.

“I should also acknowledge Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun who were close colleagues and very instrumental in developing this whole field.”

Canada’s research strengths

“I think the main thing about Canada as a place to do research is there isn’t as much money as there is in the U.S., but it uses its money quite wisely.

“In particular, the main funding council for this type of research, called NSERC, uses money for basic curiosity-driven research, and all of these advances in neural networks came out of basic curiosity-driven research – not out of throwing money at applied problems, but out of letting scientists follow their curiosity to try and understand things. And Canada’s quite good at that.”

Many thought he was wasting his time

“It was a lot of fun doing the research, but it was slightly annoying that many people – in fact, most people in the field of AI – said that neural networks would never work.

"They were very confident these things were a waste of time and we would never be able to learn complicated things – for example, understanding natural language – using neural networks. And they were wrong."

Believe in your ideas

"My message is this: if you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong.

"Often, you believe in things and you eventually figure out why that’s a wrong thing to believe in. But so long as you believe in something and you can’t see why that’s wrong – like, ‘the brain has to work somehow so we have to figure out how it learns the connection strengths to make it work’ – keep working on it and don’t let people tell you it’s nonsense if you can’t see why it’s nonsense."

‘Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize makes headlines around the world

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:24:35 +0000

‘Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize makes headlines around the world

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 10/09/2024 - 15:24

Cutline

(photo by Polina Teif)

Topic

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Nobel Prize

Research & Innovation

News of Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize in Physics travelled around the globe, making international headlines for the British-Canadian scientist known as the “godfather of AI.”

A University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the ��߲ݴ�ý, Hinton won the prize jointly with Princeton’s John J. Hopfield for early discoveries and inventions in the realm of physics that laid the groundwork for today’s artificial intelligence boom.

Hinton told The New York Times he was, “shocked and amazed and flabbergasted. I never expected it.”

After receiving the call from Stockholm in the wee hours, Hinton, who was in California, spent much of the day attending press conferences and speaking with reporters from a “cheap hotel room with no internet,” even oscillating mid-interview between the Times and the BBC.

Nevertheless, he seized the moment to emphasize both the promise and pitfalls of AI-based technologies.

“It’s going to be like the Industrial Revolution – but instead of our physical capabilities, it’s going to exceed our intellectual capabilities," he told the BBC. “… but I worry that the overall consequences of this might be systems that are more intelligent than us that might eventually take control.”

Independent UK acknowledged the unusual nature of Hinton’s win in the physics category.

“I’m not a physicist, I have very high respect for physics,” Hinton said. “I dropped out of physics after my first year at university because I couldn’t do the complicated math. So, getting an award in physics was very surprising to me. I’m very pleased that the Nobel committee recognised that there’s been huge progress in the area of artificial neural networks.”

Closer to home, Hinton’s award was lauded in the national media, from CBC: The National – which highlighted his emphasis on the importance of supporting curiosity-driven research and his role in training many of today’s AI leaders – to the front pages of The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

“I want to emphasize that AI is going to do tremendous good,” Hinton told the Globe after receiving the news about the win. “In areas like health care, it’s going to be amazing. That’s why its development is never going to be stopped. The real question is can we keep it safe?”

Read Hinton’s interview in the New York Times (paywall)

Read the BBC story

Read the Globe and Mail story (paywall)

Watch CBC: The National’s report

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

davidlee1 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:35:09 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

davidlee1 Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:35

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto/��߲ݴ�ý)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science