MADRID, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, Yoshua Bengio and Demis Hassabis, experts in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, were on Wednesday named winners of the 2022 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research.
Deep learning is a type of machine learning and AI based on the use of neural networks for voice recognition, computer vision and natural language processing.
Neural networks aim to mimic the functioning of the human brain, using algorithms to convert the biological process of learning into mathematical sequences and allowing a machine to learn from its own experience.
The four experts' "contributions to the development of deep learning represent a great advance in techniques as diverse as speech recognition, natural language processing, object perception, machine translation, strategy optimization, protein structure, medical diagnosis and many others," the jury commented.
"The current and future impact on the progress of society can be described as extraordinary."
Since 1981, the Princess of Asturias Award has been presented to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in sciences, humanities and public affairs and are given in eight categories.
Each winner receives 50,000 euros (52,100 U.S. dollars) and a sculpture created by Spanish artist Juan Miro at a ceremony held annually in the city of Oviedo in northern Spain in October. ■