This week, Nobel prizes in chemistry and physics were awarded to AI pioneers connected to Google, stirring debates about the company’s dominance in research and how scientific breakthroughs should be recognized.
Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google’s AI unit DeepMind, and John Jumper were awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for their work on decoding microscopic protein structures, alongside U.S. biochemist David Baker. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Hinton, a former Google researcher, won the physics prize for early machine learning discoveries that contributed to the AI boom.
While these scientists’ work is widely praised, some question whether their contributions fit the prize categories. Professor Dame Wendy Hall, a UN advisor on AI, said the absence of Nobel prizes for mathematics or computer science forced the committee to be “creative” in recognizing AI research. Similarly, Professor Noah Giansiracusa argued that Hinton’s physics prize is debatable, as his work is not strictly physics.
The awards come as Google faces competitive pressure from Microsoft-backed OpenAI and scrutiny from U.S. regulators, who are investigating its potential monopoly. Google’s research dominance, fueled by its vast resources, has outpaced traditional academia, allowing it to lead in AI advancements.
Hinton, who left Google in 2023 to voice concerns about AI’s dangers, highlighted the potential risks of AI surpassing human intelligence. The debate surrounding the Nobel awards underscores the growing challenges of balancing scientific innovation with ethical and societal concerns.
