Geoffrey Hinton, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, and John Hopfield, professor at Princeton University, were honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering contributions that laid the “foundation of today’s powerful machine learning.”

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences highlighted their work from the 1980s, which led to the development of artificial neural networks—computer systems inspired by the brain’s structure. These neural networks, which enable AI to “learn by example,” have been instrumental in advances like language processing and image recognition.

Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI,” expressed his surprise at the award, stating, “I had no expectations of this. I am extremely surprised and I’m honoured.” His key contribution, the development of the Boltzmann machine, a generative model, played a significant role in modern AI.

Despite his monumental achievements, Hinton has raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI. In a 2023 New York Times interview, he expressed regret over his life’s work, noting, “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things.” He left his position at Google in 2023 to more openly discuss the dangers AI might pose.

The Nobel committee also acknowledged the work of John Hopfield, whose Hopfield network provided early insights into how artificial neural networks can replicate brain patterns. Both scientists’ discoveries have been crucial in shaping today’s AI technologies.

Hinton used tools from statistical physics, the science of systems built from many similar components. The machine is trained by feeding it examples that are very likely to arise when the machine is run. The Boltzmann machine can be used to classify images or create new examples of the type of pattern on which it was trained. Hinton has built upon this work, helping initiate the current explosive development of machine learning.

Hinton’s contributions build on the work of fellow Nobel laureate John Hopfield, who developed the Hopfield network, an artificial neural network designed to recreate patterns and store memory. This type of network, introduced in the 1980s, models how neurons in the brain interact, using a system that can “remember” and retrieve stored information. Hopfield’s work provided early insight into how artificial neural networks could replicate brain-like processes, paving the way for the more advanced machine learning and neural network models that Hinton and others would later develop.

The Hopfield network utilises physics that describes a material’s characteristics due to its atomic spin – a property that makes each atom a tiny magnet. The network as a whole is described in a manner equivalent to the energy in the spin system found in physics, and is trained by finding values for the connections between the nodes so that the saved images have low energy. When the Hopfield network is fed a distorted or incomplete image, it methodically works through the nodes and updates their values so the network’s energy falls. The network thus works stepwise to find the saved image that is most like the imperfect one it was fed with.

Hinton continues to express his concerns about the future of AI, reiterating these in a recent call with reporters. He noted, “We have no experience of what it’s like to have things smarter than us. And it’s going to be wonderful in many respects.” However, he also cautioned about the potential dangers, emphasizing the need to remain vigilant about “a number of possible bad consequences, particularly the threat of these things getting out of control.” Hinton’s remarks reflect his growing unease about the rapid development of AI technologies and their potential misuse.

India, the second-largest smartphone market globally, continues to be a major focus for Apple. To strengthen its presence, Apple has announced plans to open four more retail stores in the country. Additionally, the company has started manufacturing the iPhone 16 series domestically, with the first India-made iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max expected to be available this month.

Apple opened its first two stores in India last year in Mumbai and Delhi. Now, it plans to expand further with new stores in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR, and another location in Mumbai. While the company has yet to confirm the opening dates, this move signifies Apple’s growing commitment to the Indian market.

“We’re thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India because we’re inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country. We can’t wait for them to have even more opportunities to discover and shop for our amazing products and services and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgeable team members.”–  Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail

Currently, Apple employs over 3,000 people in India, including those working in its retail operations. With the addition of these new stores, this number is expected to increase significantly. Earlier this year, Apple also opened a 15-floor office in Bengaluru, which can accommodate up to 1,200 employees. The facility includes a lab space, wellness areas, collaboration zones, and a Caffe Macs.

In addition to expanding its retail presence, Apple has begun manufacturing its entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the high-end Pro models, in India through partners Foxconn and Pegatron. Apple began assembling iPhones in India in 2017 with the iPhone SE and last year produced the iPhone 15 locally. This shift is part of Apple’s strategy to reduce reliance on China amid growing geopolitical tensions and to capitalize on India’s expanding smartphone market.

As a result of local manufacturing, the iPhone 16 Pro models have seen a price reduction compared to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models, although pricing for the non-Pro versions remains unchanged. These India-made iPhone 16 Pro models will soon be available both domestically and for export to select markets.

It’s important to note that the new iPhone 16 models won’t include Apple Intelligence features out of the box, regardless of where they are produced. While Apple has confirmed that AI features will be available in the U.S. with an iOS 18 update in October, the rollout of Apple Intelligence in India is expected to take place in 2025.

During Apple’s September event where the iPhone 16 series was unveiled, Apple Intelligence stood out as a key feature. However, the latest iPhones did not launch with Apple Intelligence capabilities, a point of criticism from both analysts and fans. Apple did announce that Apple Intelligence would arrive later this year with an iOS 18 update. Now, renowned Apple analyst Mark Gurman has shared the anticipated release date for iOS 18.1.

Mark Gurman Confirms iOS 18.1 Release Date In his latest newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple will release iOS 18.1, which includes Apple Intelligence, on October 28, 2024. The update will bring these features to both the new iPhones and other compatible devices. According to Gurman, the delay was necessary to ensure the features were polished and to prepare Apple’s AI cloud infrastructure for handling complex tasks that go beyond the capabilities of on-device processing.

What Apple Intelligence Features Will Come with iOS 18.1?

So far, iOS 18 beta users have had early access to Apple’s AI tools, and the stable release is expected to include these same features. With iOS 18.1, users will gain access to Notification Summaries, a Clean-Up tool, Writing Tools, an updated Siri interface, and the new Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, among other features.

Gurman also provided insights into the timeline for future Apple Intelligence updates. For instance, ChatGPT integration is planned for the iOS 18.2 update, expected to roll out in December 2024.

It remains unclear whether Apple Intelligence will have a waitlist for access, as was the case with the iOS 18 beta.

While the staggered release of Apple Intelligence has caused some frustration among eager users, we now have a confirmed release date for these highly anticipated features.