As artificial intelligence becomes part of daily life for millions of Americans, Time has named its 2025 Person of the Year: the “Architects of AI.”
The magazine cited leaders such as Jensen Huang, Elon Musk and Sam Altman among those considered for this year’s honor. Musk was previously named Time Person of the Year in 2021.
While the designation is generally seen as an honor, Time has named controversial figures in the past, including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin.
Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs explained the decision.
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“This was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out,” Jacobs said. “Whatever the question was, AI was the answer. We saw it accelerate medical research and productivity, and seem to make the impossible possible. It was hard to read or watch anything without being confronted with news about the rapid advancement of a technology and the people driving it.”
In announcing its choice, Time described the sweeping influence these figures have had on society.
“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,” Time wrote. “Racing both beside and against each other, they placed multibillion-dollar bets on one of the biggest physical infrastructure projects of all time. They reoriented government policy, altered geopolitical rivalries and brought robots into homes. AI emerged as arguably the most consequential tool in great-power competition since the advent of nuclear weapons.”
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Time has occasionally chosen groups rather than individuals. In 2018, it named “The Guardians” — journalists who faced persecution for doing their work — as its Person of the Year. The year before, those leading the #MeToo movement, activists who spoke out against sexual harassment and assault, received the honor.
Last year’s recipient was Donald Trump, marking the seventh consecutive time a president-elect was chosen.
