The Nobel Committee’s selection process has been called into question by the fact that South Korean author Han Kang and AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton were both awarded the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Literature and Physics, respectively. Han’s depiction of the 5.18 has been disputed by critics. The Gwangju Uprising distorts a critical chapter in Korean history and some question whether Hinton’s groundbreaking work on artificial intelligence truly represents the limits of physics. Is there a valid reason for the concerns raised about the Nobel Prize decisions, and what political factors influence their acceptance? Additionally, how do these prizes affect Nobel Prizes in terms of their impact on literature and science?

Han Kang's books, which were awarded Nobel prizes, explore themes of trauma and resistance, focusing on Korea's 5.18 revolution. Gwangju Uprising. A violently suppressed pro-democracy movement in the 1980s is a pivotal and sensitive event in Korean history. This event was significant. Although her pieces are highly regarded internationally for their emotional depth and political significance, South Korean critics argue that her plot distorts the historical record and serves as an instrument for politicizing Korea's past. The Nobel Prize's value was considered a fall from grace by one critic, who also believed it legitimized historical distortions. This reaction highlights the crucial role of literary awards, such as the Nobel Prize, in promoting particular cultural narratives on a global level. ". Such awards can elicit debates about historical fidelity and national identity interpretations, as they highlight areas of history that may not be explicitly acknowledged for their recognition.

Former Google Researcher Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel prize for physics. He is a British-Canadian computer scientist known as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI). He and his colleagues developed artificial neural networks, a core machine learning technology, by borrowing methods from physics. While some critics agree that the work was groundbreaking, they argue that his win was questionable mainly because his work was a combined field of physics and computer science, apart from the traditional forms of science. Noah Giansiracusa, an associate math professor at Bentley University argued, “What he did was phenomenal, but was it physics? I don't think so. Even if there's inspiration from physics, they're not developing a new theory in physics or solving a longstanding problem in physics.” Hinton’s work stood on the shoulders of Werbos and Amari’s earlier research. Werbos and Amari’s contributions to the AI development of neural networks sparked innovations such as AlphaGo and OpenAi’s GPT. AI research experts emphasize that technological advancements are “nearly always a collaborative, multi-layered process”. The controversy over Hinton’s win reevaluates how the Nobel committee recognizes innovation. The Nobel committee’s selection underscores that the most significant AI advancements would most likely come from ‘those who can refine and adapt existing ideas to [confront] new challenges,’ not from those who invent entirely new concepts.

The Nobel Prize and its significance can relate to individual ability as it rewards only one winner per party for the year. However, the influence of the Prize itself exceeds the appreciation for just an individual and ensures the global relationship between the nations or the recognition of the cultural exchange. Consequently, the Nobel Prize winners can influence the primary image of the content they are delivering, creating the possibility of distortion and controversy in culture and history. The effect of the Nobel Prize is unlimited, also continuing to grow within the political aspect of the award, creating a new place for political discussion based on how the nominee solves the issue.