Geoffrey Hinton, left, receives the Sandford Fleming Medal from Jock Fleming, chair at RCIScience (photo by Royal Canadian Institute for Science, www.rciscience.ca)
Geoffrey Hinton awarded Sandford Fleming Medal
Published: June 9, 2026
Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science and co-laureate of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, has received the 2025 Sandford Fleming Medal.
Awarded by the Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIScience), the Sandford Fleming Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to the public understanding of science and is considered Canada’s most prestigious award for excellence in science communication.
Hinton, who is widely regarded as the "godfather of AI," was selected for his impact on AI research and public engagement on the societal implications of emerging technologies.
“For 175 years, RCIScience has worked toward a vision of an informed public that embraces science to build a stronger Canada,” said Carrie Boyce, executive director of RCIScience. “Professor Hinton’s leadership in public engagement, critical thinking and AI literacy could not be more timely.”
“Thanks both to his natural temperament and to his many years of concerted, mindful effort, he is an exceptionally skilled, dedicated and influential communicator of science,” wrote science journalist and nominator Patchen Barss. “He is driven by a powerful sense of duty and morality, and an absolute loyalty to scientific integrity and public engagement.”
Hinton joins an illustrious list of medal-winners including U of T University Professor Molly Shoichet and the late University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin.
