Time Magazine Honors ‘Architects of AI’ as 2025 Person of the Year
Time Magazine has honored the “Architects of AI” as the 2025 Person of the Year. This recognition highlights a pivotal year when artificial intelligence emerged as a mainstream technology, reshaping many aspects of daily life. The decision underscores the importance of individuals who have contributed to the design and development of AI.
Significance of the 2025 Selection
Time’s selection focuses on people rather than the technology itself. Editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs noted that the honorees include tech leaders and innovators responsible for the rise of thinking machines. “For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Jacobs stated in a social media announcement.
Key Figures Honored
The cover features eight influential tech executives:
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
- Lisa Su, CEO of AMD
- Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
- Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
- Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google’s DeepMind
- Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic
- Fei-Fei Li, AI pioneer and founder of World Labs
Five of these leaders are billionaires, holding a combined wealth of approximately $870 billion, largely accrued during the recent AI boom.
AI’s Rising Influence
2025 marked a significant shift, as artificial intelligence transitioned from an experimental tool to an integral part of everyday life. Thomas Husson, a principal analyst at Forrester, emphasized that AI’s full potential became apparent this year, indicating that there’s no turning back.
Cautions Amidst Progress
While many celebrate AI’s advancements, experts voice concerns about the rapid development of powerful systems. Anthony Aguirre, executive director of the Future of Life Institute, warned of potential societal impacts if safeguards are not established. “The impact on our society could be catastrophic if there are no guardrails protecting what’s human,” he stated.
Comparison with Previous Honorees
This year’s selection follows notable previous honorees, including Donald Trump, who was recognized as the 2024 Person of the Year after his second presidential election victory. In 2023, Taylor Swift held the title. Time has a historical precedent dating back to 1927 for selecting individuals who significantly shaped the news landscape within the year.
The magazine, owned by Marc Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce, continues to reflect on impactful figures and trends, with AI clearly taking center stage in the current technological landscape.
