Comment

Comment by Dokusō-tekina aidea 46 minutes ago

Who Is Geoffrey Hinton? by ICONADA Research Team 

Today, I would like to introduce a scientist who changed the world — Geoffrey Hinton (1948– ).

Many people call him the “Godfather of AI” because many of the artificial intelligence technologies we use today — such as chatbots, machine translation, facial recognition, and even self-driving cars — are deeply connected to his research.

Geoffrey Hinton received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for combining ideas from physics and neural networks to lay the foundations of modern artificial intelligence and deep learning, fundamentally changing the way humans interact with computers.

Some of you may wonder:

“Didn’t artificial intelligence suddenly appear only in recent years?”

Actually, no.

AI research has a history of several decades, and Professor Hinton is one of the most important figures in that story. He spent more than forty years developing a technology that many people had nearly abandoned, eventually turning it into a force that changed the world.

1.A Dream Inspired by the Human Brain

Geoffrey Hinton was born in the United Kingdom and later conducted research in Canada. He always had one important idea:

“If the human brain can learn, could computers learn in a similar way?”

Because of this question, he began studying “artificial neural networks.”

A neural network is a system designed to imitate the way neurons in the human brain work.

Our brains learn through experience. For example:

* A child falls down and learns to be more careful next time.
* A student gets a math problem wrong and learns how to improve.

Hinton believed computers should also be able to learn from mistakes.

2.The Most Important Breakthrough: Backpropagation

In the 1980s, artificial neural networks faced a major problem: computers did not know what mistakes they had made, so they could not truly “learn.”

In 1986, Hinton and other researchers introduced a revolutionary technique called “backpropagation.”

Don’t be frightened by the name.

Simply put, it works like correcting an exam paper.

For example:

* The computer first gives an answer.
* It discovers the answer is wrong.
* The system checks backward step by step to find the error.
* Then it adjusts its internal settings so the next answer will be closer to the correct one.

This is very similar to how a teacher helps students correct mistakes on a test.

Backpropagation became one of the most important foundations of modern deep learning.

Without this technology, many AI tools we use today might not even exist.

3.He Continued When Others Gave Up

However, Hinton’s research journey was not easy.

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, many scientists believed neural networks had “no future.”

At that time, computers were not powerful enough, and there was not enough data available. AI research entered a difficult period known as the “AI Winter.”

Many researchers switched to other fields because they thought neural networks would never succeed.

But Hinton did not give up.

In 2006, he introduced a new method called the “Deep Belief Network (DBN),” which helped solve the problem of training deep neural networks. This achievement officially began the era of “deep learning.”

This teaches us an important lesson:

Great scientific discoveries often come from long-term persistence.

Comment by Dokusō-tekina aidea 57 minutes ago

4.AlexNet Shocked the World

In 2012, Hinton and his students created a famous AI system called AlexNet. One of his students was Alex Krizhevsky.

That year, there was an international competition called the ImageNet Image Recognition Challenge.

The task was simple:

“Show pictures to a computer and ask it to identify what is inside.”

For example:

* A cat?
* A dog?
* An airplane?
* A car?

Before AlexNet, computers were not very good at image recognition. But AlexNet performed far better than every other team, dramatically reducing the error rate.

Technology companies around the world were shocked.

From that year onward:

It is fair to say that 2012 became a major turning point in the explosion of modern AI.

5.He Was Not Only a Scientist, but Also a Teacher

Hinton also had another important role: educator.

Many of his students later became world-leading AI experts, including:

* Yann LeCun
* Ilya Sutskever

These researchers later helped develop many advanced AI technologies, including the conversational AI systems we know today.

That is why some people say:

“Hinton not only created AI technology — he also trained the people who transformed the AI world.”

6.The Concerns of the “Godfather of AI”

Interestingly, one of the people most responsible for advancing AI has recently begun warning the world about its dangers.

Hinton left Google so that he could speak more freely about AI safety.

He worries that if artificial intelligence becomes too powerful in the future, humans may no longer be able to fully control it.

Therefore, he believes the world must pay attention not only to developing AI, but also to:

* Safety
* Ethics
* Laws
* The future of humanity

This reminds us that truly great scientists do not only create technology — they also think carefully about how it may affect the world.

7. What Can We Learn from Him?

Students, Geoffrey Hinton’s story is not only a story about technology. It is also a lesson about life.

He teaches us three important things.

First, believe in your ideas.

Even when many people doubted neural networks, he continued his research.

Second, failure is not something to fear.

AI went through a difficult “winter,” but he never gave up.

Third, technology brings both power and responsibility.

People who invent new technologies must also think about how those technologies may affect society.

Conclusion

Today’s artificial intelligence may seem like a miracle that appeared suddenly. But behind it are decades of hard work by countless scientists.

And Geoffrey Hinton is one of the most important among them.

From backpropagation, to deep learning, to the success of AlexNet, he changed the direction of world technology step by step.

Perhaps one of you in the future will become the next scientist who changes the world.

And what truly matters is not only how intelligent you are, but whether you are willing to continue believing in your dreams even when others doubt you.

Comment by Dokusō-tekina aidea on May 15, 2026 at 9:11pm

The Indian community in Sabah by ICONADA CCI Research Team

The contribution of the Indian community to Sabah is a narrative of resilience, professionalism, and integration.

Although small in number, the community has played a foundational role in transforming Sabah from a colonial outpost into a modern Malaysian state.

Guardians of Early Order (The 1880s)

The very stability of early North Borneo was built on Indian shoulders. In 1882, the British North Borneo Chartered Company recruited Sikh and Punjabi men to form the backbone of the North Borneo Armed Constabulary.Law Enforcement: They served as the state's first police officers and paramilitary forces.Frontier Safety: They secured remote outposts, allowing for the peaceful development of towns like Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) and Sandakan.Infrastructure Guarding: Their presence ensured the safe construction of vital telecommunications and transport lines.

Engineering and Physical Infrastructure

Indian labor was instrumental in the physical connectivity of the state.

The North Borneo Railway: Indian workers were the primary force behind the 1898 railway project, which opened up the interior for trade.

Public Works: Many served in the Public Works Department (PWD), digging the drainage systems, laying early roads, and constructing the iconic colonial buildings that defined Sabah’s early urban landscape.

The Backbone of Civil Service & Healthcare

Perhaps the most lasting contribution is in the professional sectors. Throughout the 20th century, Indians filled critical "brain power" gaps.Medical Excellence: Since the colonial era, a disproportionate number of Sabah’s doctors and nurses have been of Indian descent, particularly those arriving from Peninsular Malaysia to serve in rural clinics.

Education: Indian teachers were pioneers in Sabah’s English-medium schools, educating generations of local leaders, including many future Kadazan-Dusun and Bajau politicians.Bureaucracy: Their meticulous work as clerks and administrative officers helped establish the civil service framework still used in Sabah today.

Economic Diversification and Trade

The Indian community brought a distinct entrepreneurial spirit to Sabah’s local markets.

Textiles and Sundries: Indian merchants established long-standing businesses in "Gaya Street" and other major hubs, providing affordable goods to the local population.

Plantation Economy: While many arrived as laborers for rubber and tobacco, they eventually transitioned into small-scale landowners and technical experts in the agricultural sector.

Social Integration and the "Sabah Identity"Unlike more segregated communities, Indians in Sabah are celebrated for their deep integration.Intermarriage: High rates of marriage between Indians and local ethnic groups (such as the Kadazan-Dusun) have created a unique cultural synthesis.

Religious Harmony: The presence of historic Hindu temples and Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) serves as a testament to Sabah’s legendary religious tolerance.

Political Representation: Through the Sabah Indian Association (SIA), the community has consistently acted as a bridge, ensuring Indian interests are aligned with the broader "Sabah First" state identity.

From the police constables who guarded the frontier to the doctors saving lives today, the Indian community has contributed far more than their population size suggests.

They remain an essential thread in the multicultural tapestry of Sabah, proving that commitment to one's adopted home is the truest form of nation-building.