Geoffrey Hinton is a walking paradox—an archetype of a certain kind of brilliant scientist.
Hinton’s renown was solidified on Tuesday when he won the Nobel Prize in physics, alongside the American scientist John Hopfield, for discovering neural networks and the computer pathways that led to modern-day breakthroughs in AI. However, in recent years he has come to be defined by a contradiction: The discovery that led to his acclaim is now a source of ceaseless concern.
