AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield win Nobel Prize for Physics

British-Canadian cognitive psychologist and computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, sometimes known as the 'godfather of AI'. (Credit: GEOFF ROBINS—AFP via Getty Images)

For the first time, a Nobel Prize has been awarded to pioneers in the field of artificial intelligence.

Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield were on Tuesday granted the honor of becoming Nobel laureates in physics, for their work on artificial neural networks over the last four decades. They will share the award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.06 million) that comes with the prize.