TIME Magazine just named its Person of the Year for 2025. For the first time in its long history, it has selected a group of fellows – a collective – rather than an individual. This year, the book celebrates the “Architects of AI.” These trail-blazing CEOs are leading, or as the CEAI report says, winning the global race for artificial intelligence technology.
Every December, TIME recognizes a person (or group of people) who for better or worse has most influenced the events of the past year. This year’s selection shines a light on the huge role technological progress plays in the powerful and dangerous changes AI is wreaking on society. This year’s magazine features these leaders as Founding Fathers and Founding Mothers of a technological revolution. Their work is shaping the future of nearly every facet of our daily lives.
Prominent figures featured on the cover include Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta. Each have been extremely consequential in determining the future of AI. At best, they sometimes line up next to each other and at worst they literally run in competition with one another.
TIME’s article notes that “for decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines.” The report urges that the tale turned out in 2025 should be one of reinvention and uncertainty.
The narrative continues, stating, “This is the story of how AI changed our world in 2025, in new and exciting and sometimes frightening ways. It is the story of how Huang and other tech titans grabbed the wheel of history, developing technology and making decisions that are reshaping the information landscape, the climate, and our livelihoods… AI emerged as arguably the most consequential tool in great-power competition since the advent of nuclear weapons.”
Huang, Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg have taken the lead in this AI race. Important figures such as Lisa Su, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Fei-Fei Li are doing very significant work as well. Together, their efforts are advancing technology into uncharted territory. Simultaneously, they are igniting necessary conversations surrounding the ethical implications and social impact of AI.
The recognition as Person of the Year underscores the importance of understanding both the potential benefits and risks associated with AI development. These leaders choose to innovate now will shape and define the future of their economies, environments, and the role each plays on the global stage.
