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Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, had a short walk to his presumed destination early Wednesday morning: the Hotel in midtown Manhattan where his company was holding its annual investors conference. The executive, who lived in a suburb near his company’s Minneapolis-area headquarters, was staying at a hotel just across the street, according to reports. Apparently walking alone, wore a blue blazer with no overcoat, despite the chill in the air. At around 6:46 a.m., he was just seconds away from one of the Hilton’s entrances on West 54th Street when a figure in a black face mask approached him holding a long handgun, from behind, then swiftly crossed the street and entered an alleyway next to New York’s famous Ziegfeld Theater. , wearing a cream-colored jacket, was as he walked up to Thompson and began shooting. After the weapon appeared to malfunction, he quickly cleared the jam and continued to fire. Fleeing on foot, he transferred to an e-bike and rode up Sixth Avenue into Central Park, as police would . Thompson was left collapsed on the sidewalk. Officers from the New York Police Department gave him CPR as they waited for an ambulance. The CEO was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was less than 30 minutes later. have determined the shooter had arrived in New York from Atlanta by bus last month, according , and checked in at a local hostel at the end of November. Authorities on Thursday. And most notably, police have of a person of interest that shows a man’s full face. He is pictured smiling, wearing a khaki-colored hoodie and a jacket. “This does not appear to be a random ,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday. She added that it was a “ .” Inside the Hilton hotel that morning, the company’s daylong investors conference for 2024, called IC24, began as normal around 8 a.m. CEO Andrew Witty gave opening remarks in one of the conference’s presentation rooms, Michael Ha, a stock analyst, told the . But news about the shooting soon , according to another investor who was in the third-floor conference room where attendees had gathered, who asked to have his name withheld. People were sitting in chairs, many with their laptops open to market news, when early headlines about the shooting began to appear. Others were . Audience members started to look around and chat with one another, trying to piece together what they were reading, the . About 10 minutes later, Witty appeared on stage and canceled the event, citing a medical emergency. As the crowd slowly realized what had happened, people began to get emotional and leave the room. “He was a stand-up guy, a good dude,” the investor said of Thompson. “I’ve never met anyone who had anything bad to say about him.” He had met Thompson several times at investor dinners on the eves of past conferences, he explained, and was in disbelief. “He would have been at one of those dinners last night.” Signs for the IC24 event were still standing in the Hilton Lobby at 10 a.m., until an organizer swooped in to grab several and stow them under her arm. On the third floor, only a handful of attendees still wearing their lanyards lingered, making calls next to their luggage. Outside, police closed access to the West 54th block where Thompson was slain and directed pedestrians around the police tape through the hotel’s parking entrance. And on Sixth Avenue, solemn-faced executives in blue shook their heads “No” at reporters as they waited for drivers. Other executives were ushered out to the street and into black Suburbans. UnitedHealth Group about Thompson’s death before noon. “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the C.E.O. of UnitedHealthcare,” it read. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” By the early afternoon, the company’s of pages listing its executives and board members. Although he led the $281 billion insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, and was the lead executive at the company’s consumer-facing brand, Thompson kept a relatively low profile. A lifelong Midwesterner, he was born in Jewell, Iowa, a rural town with a population of about 1,200, an hour away from Des Moines. In high school, he was an athlete and class president, according to the . In 1997, he graduated from the University of Iowa, where he studied business administration and accounting, his shows. Later that year, he began working as an audit department manager at a Twin Cities outpost of the consulting firm PwC. Thompson joined UnitedHealthcare as a director in corporate development in 2004. He would go on to hold several roles—including chief financial officer and chief executive of the UnitedHealthcare divisions overseeing Medicaid and retirement insurance plans, and government programs—before being named CEO of the entire insurance business, by far the largest in the U.S., in 2021. The executive, a father of two, was married, but for the past several years, he and his wife, Paulette Thompson, had been living in separate homes less than a mile away from each other in Maple Grove, Minn., the reported. Reached by on Wednesday morning, Thompson’s wife told the news outlet that she could not give a “thoughtful” response. “I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children,” she said. She added that Thompson had been receiving threats, although she didn’t know the details about why. “I don’t know, a lack of coverage?” she said, explaining also that Thompson had not changed his travel plans in response. Thompson was not traveling with a security detail, according to New York police. The company’s does not include any disclosures about security expenses, except to state that UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is “required for personal security reasons to use corporate aircraft for all business travel and is encouraged to use corporate aircraft for all personal travel, including family travel.” Companies do not need to disclose security spending unless expenses exceed $10,000. In tributes posted online, several colleagues and Wall Street professionals who knew Thompson commented on his affability. Justin Lake, an analyst at Wolfe Research in a note to clients that thousands of people had been touched by Thompson’s good nature. “BT has been a friend and colleague for nearly 20 years and over that time I watched as he climbed the ranks at UNH while earning the respect and admiration of everyone that occupied his orbit,” he wrote. Matt Burns, whose shows that he previously worked at UnitedHealth Group, glowingly of Thompson, saying that he “toggled between his leadership role and relatable Joe as effectively and easily as anyone I’ve encountered professionally.” However, Thompson’s tenure at the insurance company was not without controversy. He was also one of several UnitedHealthcare executives facing accusations of fraud and a potential . Last May, the Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against the parent company, Witty, Thompson, and executive chairman Stephen Hemsley, alleging that they schemed to prop up the insurer’s share price by not disclosing that the Department of Justice was planning to investigate the company for antitrust practices. The suit alleges that Thompson was aware of the inquiry at the time that he sold 31% of his employee shares—worth $15 million—less than two weeks before a Department of Justice investigation became public knowledge. The DOJ investigation sent the company’s share price down by 5%. UnitedHealthcare did not immediately return ’s request for comment about the allegations. As shock ricocheted throughout the business community and prominent politicians (including Minnesota’s and ) publicly mourned Thompson, a backlash against UnitedHealthcare and the insurance business more broadly was also taking shape. American health insurance companies are often the target of ire from consumers furious over rising fees, denied claims for vital healthcare, and opaque business practices. Data from personal finance platform ValuePenguin showed that UnitedHealthcare compared to the industry average of 16%. Last year, a class action lawsuit filed in also charged that the company used artificial intelligence to turn down a large percentage of health coverage claims, with an error rate of 90%. Lawyers for UnitedHealthcare “failed to exhaust the exclusive administrative appeal process set by the Medicare Act” and requested that the case be dismissed. Health industry news site reports that Medicare’s appeals process is backlogged, and that completing that process can take years and be a drain on finances. UnitedHealth Group is fourth on this year’s Fortune 500. As CEO of the parent group’s largest subsidiary, Thompson earned more than $10 million in 2023, company filings show. The detail found its way into several scornful messages about Thompson’s killing on social media. On and LinkedIn, users wrote that they mourned not for Thompson, but for people who have had their insurance claims denied, and shared personal histories about their struggles with a sick family member and the company’s response. That animosity toward the insurer has fueled speculation as to the shooter’s motives for killing Thompson. Among the clues gathered by the NYPD on three bullets found near the crime scene: Deny, Defend, Depose. The words are similar to the title of a book about the insurance industry’s ethically suspect practices that allow companies to rake in billions by finding reasons not to cover medical treatments for paying customers, . There are still more questions about the incident than answers, and updates to the killing are trickling in by the hour. The attack has prompted about , and seems to over the past few years of spending more money to protect top business leaders. Tesla’s Elon Musk, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, and Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg, for example, cost their companies . “We don’t know the motivation. Certainly, if it’s a personal motivation, that changes the landscape a little bit,” Glen Kucera, president of the enhanced protection services division at Allied , a security services company, “If it was motivated by the business that they’re in, the health care business, or anything that could be related, then certainly that’s a wake-up call to a lot of CEOs and executives traveling throughout the country and the world.” Dennis Franks, a retired FBI Special Agent and vice president of the Texas-based Viollis Group International security firm, who has provided security for executives at some of the largest global companies, told that he was “not surprised at all” that Thompson didn’t have security with him as he walked the streets of New York. “The level of protection for executives varies and I would say in general that it's very lacking,” he said. “A lot of executives don't want it, and they don't have it. A lot of companies are not willing to spend the money because it gets very expensive.” Franks said Thompson would have ideally been accompanied by two or three security guards—including one walking beside him, and one tailing the executive. UnitedHealthcare has not revealed who is running the company in the wake of Wednesday’s shooting and directed to an updated statement about the crisis when asked about succession plans. “Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brian’s family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice,” it read. “We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend.” Julie Utterback, an equity analyst at Morningstar, told that the company has “a deep bench of management talent.” “I would not think of that organization as being dependent on any one individual to continue performing well,” she said. So while losing Brian is a very sad event for the organization, we expect the company will be able to bring in one of its many other leaders to succeed Brian.” As the workweek came to an end on Dec. 6, the manhunt continued. This story was originally featured onbaccarat dupe 。

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TIOHTIÀ:KE ( MONTREAL ), QC , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Calling all youth in Canada , Mexico and the United States ! Are you ready to act now to support North American communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air? The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of its Generation of Environmental Leaders Program (GELP). This exciting program supports young leaders in accessing seed funding and developing the necessary skills to make a real and meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. The selected youth will benefit from a year-long mentorship program, networking opportunities across North America , receive C$15,000 in seed funding and the chance to present their solutions to North America's top environmental officials as part of the CEC's annual Council Session in the summer of 2025. It's time to act now. The GELP invites young people from North America to support communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air. The program is aimed at youth who are 18–35 years old and are part of a team such as, but not exclusively, youth-led organizations, youth-led associations, nongovernmental organizations, not-for-profit youth-led businesses, and teams of youth innovators and entrepreneurs interested in building their businesses. Here's what the current GELP cohort is saying. "The mentorship provided by the GELP has greatly helped me grow as a person and has made me feel more comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone, especially in areas like preparing for presentations and managing stress. Today, I feel much more at ease speaking in front of an audience!"—Alexandre Savard, Encore! Biomatériaux, Canada . "The seed funding provided through the GELP was a wonderful opportunity to kickstart some of our project's most important activities. Thanks to this support, we were able to initiate the implementation of an Environmental Management Unit, a step that will foster restoration and conservation of the area." —Ana Cristina Posadas García, Strategy for the Restoration and Conservation of the Ciénega of Tamasopo Wetland, RAMSAR Site, Mexico . "As members of the inaugural GELP cohort, we have had the privilege of connecting with individuals and organizations driven to be a power for good in the environmental and climate space. These experiences have been the catalyst for additional award nominations and the formation of collaborative partnerships that we believe will further grow our work at the intersection of justice and an equitable energy transition."—McKenna Dunbar and Jake Barnet , Electrivive: An Equitable Building Electrification Workforce Redevelopment Tool, United States . We're giving youth the resources to succeed and lead. In addition to building capacity for youth, this program accelerates youth leadership by expanding youth environmental networks and providing seed funding for creative solutions to flourish, particularly at the local level. During the year-long mentorship program, youth leaders receive advice from experts to help advance their solutions and guidance on various elements of their projects, including how to pitch their solutions and other project development and management topics such as risk management, budgeting, outreach and fundraising. The program supports impactful and enduring community-driven activities and establishes a robust youth network across North America . The GELP also provides extended networking opportunities for participants. The selected solutions are presented to the public and selected teams can engage with the CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group , and Government officials and experts, during the CEC Council Session , an ideal platform to showcase the impactful ideas at the ministerial level. Requirements for participation. Applicants must demonstrate that their solutions can address or respond to critical issues related to supporting our communities and preserving our shared waters, lands and air across North America . Submissions should be practical, effective, achievable and propose sustainable solutions to an identifiable environmental problem. They should also be context-specific and consider the unique characteristics of the community or region targeted by the project. The eligibility and evaluation criteria prioritize solutions that have established a clear objective and will have a significant impact on local communities and their environment: Priority is given to proposals submitted by diverse youth who identified or developed their solutions jointly with communities, including community members who traditionally do not have access to decision-making spaces. Submission deadline : Completed submissions must be uploaded to the submission platform by 23:59 local time on 12 January 2025 . Click here to learn more about the program, the submission guidelines and criteria, and to apply. For more information about the Generation of Environmental Leaders Program and the submission process, please join us for a virtual information session on 17 December 2024 from 13:00–14:00 Eastern Time (12:00–13:00 Central Time) and (10:00–11:00 Pacific Time), available with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish. If you would like to know more about CEC initiatives, opportunities and efforts, you can sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media . Media Contact Patrick Tonissen Head of Communications +1 (438) 885-8463 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cecs-generation-of-environmental-leaders-program-now-open-to-north-american-youth-302314604.html SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people. In a social media post on X on Sunday, Trudeau said the fall of the Assad dictatorship "ends decades of brutal oppression." Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday and is now reported to be in Moscow, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war. The toppling of Assad comes after opposition forces entered the Syrian capital of Damascus, ending half a century of rule by his family. Trudeau said Canada is monitoring the transition closely, and he urged "order, stability, and respect for human rights." Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told a news conference on Sunday that Assad "was a puppet for the tyrants of Tehran." "He has carried out genocides against the Sunni people in his own country, and now he appears to have been toppled," Poilievre said in Ottawa. Poilievre said it's unknown who will replace Assad, adding it isn't Canada's fight and that he doesn't believe Canada should get involved. "We should stand with our allies, including Israel, against the terrorists. We should focus on protecting our own country." Ottawa describes the security situation as volatile, and said the Damascus and Aleppo airports as well as some border crossings are closed. An updated travel advisory from the Canadian government warns people to avoid the Middle Eastern country due to what it calls "ongoing armed conflict, terrorism, criminality, arbitrary detention, torture and forced disappearance." Canada has urged its citizens to leave Syria since November 2011, and its embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. The Canadian PressThe United States is expected to announce that it will send 1.25 billion dollars (£1 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine, US officials said on Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on January 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. US President Joe Biden has supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion (Susan Walsh/AP) Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.The 2024 Snowball Derby is set to go live this Sunday. As drivers prepare for the 57th edition of the prestigious 300-lap Late Model race, one particular story from 1977 pops up in distinction. The field for that year’s event was stacked with iconic names like Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin. But it was two, Ronnie Sanders and Darrell Waltrip, that made the day memorable. Waltrip was declared as the winner at the end of the race and given the trophy. But a deeper analysis of the race found the scoring tower spotting him an extra lap and that the real winner was Sanders. By the time officials realized their mistake, Waltrip had exited the track and gone back to his hotel. He later refused to return the trophy and asked for the prize money that he was due according to the earlier decision. The track management informed him that he would get his money if he gave the trophy back, but Waltrip decided to keep the silverware and forsake the money. And so, he still has the trophy safely secure in his possession. He told Racing America in 2022, “I won this trophy but it’s not mine. If you run into Ronnie Sanders, you can tell him that I still have my trophy. Or he may think it’s his.” Sanders was given a duplicate trophy the following March along with the winner’s check. It was the only Snowball Derby that he won over his racing career. Sanders is known for his legacy in the short-track racing scene. Remarkably, he was handcuffed and taken away from the Five Flags Speedway in 1975 for trying to demolish Bobby Allison’s windshield with an axle. Why Sanders was angry at Bobby Allison in 1975 Bobby Allison and Donnie Allison were among the biggest names in the field during the 1975 Snowball Derby. They put all their stock car racing skills to the test in the finale and led 200 laps between them. The rest of the drivers had no choice but to be a victim of this bullying from the Alabama Gang and race for third place. Sanders was running seventh in the final laps of the race and feeling great about obtaining a good result. This was when Bobby Allison drove up to him and shoved him instead of passing by him. Even worse, Sanders claimed that the driver stayed on the gas after crashing into him. He narrated to the Five Flags Speedway media, “ I had an axle in the back of the truck and I picked it up and I was going out on the track to bust his windshield out. Security got to me before I could pull it off.” He was handcuffed and taken off the property, but the moment became derby history. Donnie Allison went on to become the eventual race winner.

Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general

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Orchestra that allowed youths to film performances on their phones lets grime rappers Lady Leshurr and Big Dog Yogo into its ranks to boost classical music audiences By TOM LAWRENCE Published: 14:58 EST, 27 December 2024 | Updated: 15:13 EST, 27 December 2024 e-mail View comments A British orchestra is teaming up with two UK grime artists in a bid to encourage more young listeners to get interested in classical music. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has been taking radical steps to try to appeal to a younger audience and earlier this year caused a stir over their policy to allow people to film during their shows. Tenor Ian Bostridge stopped a performance at Birmingham Symphony Hall last month criticising audience members using their phones during the show, although he later said he was unaware about the relaxation of the rules. Emma Stenning, the chief executive of the CBSO, told The Times that it was launching a 'listening project' in 2025 that would relax rules and allow widespread use of phones in the concert hall, to see if there was a desire for audience members to do so. She said: 'How do we make the symphony hall more welcoming and a place where people feel comfortable and themselves and how do we protect that space so that it is right for artists and so that people engage in the music in the best possible way?' The concert is being produced in collaboration with Punch Records, which will see some of its artists including Big Dog Yogo and Lady Leshurr perform live with the orchestra. The Legacy gig, which will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at Birmingham Symphony Hall, has stemmed from a book and documentary of the same name by the Punch Records agency, about the untold stories of Birmingham's grime, hip-hop, and rap scene Ms Stenning said the CBSO and other orchestras need to experiment to keep classical music alive for future generations. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra are experimenting with new ways to attract a younger audience British singer and grime artist Lady Leshurr is set to perform with the CBSO in the special concert Grime artist Big Dog Yogo is also set to join the orchestra for the performance in April She told The Times: 'All the research that we do into new audiences says that people are really wanting a more immersive experience, something that speaks more directly to the music they might listen to at home and feels more relevant in their day-to-day lives,' Stenning said, adding that the grime concert was one of the projects trying to 'bring new people into the concert hall'. Tom Spurgin, the creative director of the CBSO, said that orchestral music and grime acts were not as far apart as they first seemed. He said: 'A huge amount of grime music is based on orchestral samples, so many of the bass lines those artists work with are tubas, trombones, bass trombones and double basses.' Mr Spurgin said the orchestra's musicians were supportive of the project and were transfixed when conductor Phil Meadows took them through the arrangements for the show. In May, Mr Bostridge urged the orchestra to reverse the policy on allowing phones in the concerts, after halting his performance. He clarified that he 'wasn't making a protest' but was simply unable to concentrate due to the distraction from at least two individuals filming. He said: 'You're looking at the audience and it's very interrupting and distracting to have phones being held up. It breaks the spell'. 'I didn't know about this policy and I wasn't making a protest of any sort to begin with, I simply couldn't carry on because I couldn't concentrate.' The concert is being produced in collaboration with Punch Records, which will see some of its artists including Big Dog Yogo performing Emma Stenning said the CBSO and other orchestras need to experiment to keep classical music alive for future generations The Classical Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in action (stock photo) Read More Singer who halted concert after audience on phones insists he 'wasn't making a protest' but urges orchestra to stop allowing filming during shows He added that 'almost all' of the audience applauded after he halted the concert. Despite Bostridge's criticisms, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra vowed to continue challenging concert hall conventions by permitting mobile phone filming, sparking backlash from traditionalists. However, Emma Stenning, the orchestra's chief executive, defended the decision, telling The Times that the orchestra cannot expect young listeners 'to come on the old rules'. Ms Stenning, who is due to meet Mr Bostridge this month, told the paper that some of the audience members were actually reading the translation of the French on their digital program - not recording. To prevent future distraction she said the orchestra was creating a 'dark more' setting on its website to prevent too much light from appearing. And the chief executive said there were also discussions being had about introducing 'quiet carriages' in the concert hall, like those on trains, where phones were not allowed. The CBSO Centre, the home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra High-profile tenor Ian Bostridge (pictured) stopped an ongoing performance at the city's Symphony Hall to lambast audience members who were using their phones To this, Bostridge said: 'We do have an issue attracting new audiences but I don't think this is the way to go. 'And in general I don't think that radically changing the way that concerts happen is a good idea either because the special thing about this sort of concert, classical concerts is it's a space where people come and they concentrate on what's happening onstage. 'I certainly haven't met or spoken to a single musician or singer in the past few days who doesn't think I'm right about this.' 'I hope they [Birmingham's orchestra] will' change their minds. New York Times Lady Leshurr Share or comment on this article: Orchestra that allowed youths to film performances on their phones lets grime rappers Lady Leshurr and Big Dog Yogo into its ranks to boost classical music audiences e-mail Add comment

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Purchases 7,783 Shares of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT)

New spiking offence aims to bring law up to date, minister says

Patriarchy, white privilege killed the Montreal women, MP saysBritish-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton and co-laureate John Hopfield are set to receive the Nobel Prize for physics on Tuesday in Stockholm. The pair landed the accolade because they used physics to develop artificial neural networks, which help computers learn without having to program them. These networks form the foundation of machine learning, a computer science that relies on data and algorithms to help artificial intelligence mimic the human brain. Hinton and Hopfield's path to the Nobel began when Hopfield, who is now a professor emeritus at Princeton University, invented a network in 1982 that could store and reconstruct images in data. The Hopfield network uses associate memory, which humans use to remember what something looks like when it's not in front of them or to conjure up a word they know but seldom use. The network can mirror this process because it stores patterns and has a method for recreating them. When the network is given an incomplete or slightly distorted pattern, the method then searches for the stored pattern that is most similar to recreate data. This means if a computer was shown, for example, a photo of dog where only part of the animal was visible, it could use the network to piece together the missing part of the image and recognize it was depicting a dog. Hinton, who was working at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1985, used the Hopfield network as the foundation for a new network he called the Boltzmann machine. Its name came from the nineteenth-century physicist Ludwig Boltzmann. The Boltzmann machine learns from examples, rather than instructions, and when trained, can recognize familiar characteristics in information, even if it has not seen that data before. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which gives out the Nobel, likens this to how humans may be able to identify someone as a relative of one of their friends, even if they've never met this person before, because of they share similar traits. The Boltzmann machine works in a similar way, classifying images or creating new examples based on the patterns it was trained on. This kind of technology can help suggest films or television shows based on a user's preferences and past viewing history The Hopfield network and Boltzmann machine are considered to have laid the groundwork for modern AI. Hinton, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, went on to win the A.M. Turing Award, known as the Nobel Prize of computing, with fellow Canadian Yoshua Bengio and American Yan LeCun in 2018. He is often called the godfather of AI. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press