What's happened
Time magazine has named the 'Architects of AI' as its Person of the Year for 2025, highlighting key figures like Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others who are shaping artificial intelligence's impact on society, geopolitics, and the economy. The selection reflects AI's transition from innovative tech to a global force.
What's behind the headline?
The choice of AI pioneers as Time's Person of the Year underscores AI's profound societal transformation. These figures—Huang, Altman, Musk, Zuckerberg, Hassabis—have driven AI from niche innovation to a central element of geopolitics and daily life. Their influence reorients government policies, shifts global power dynamics, and introduces ethical and social challenges.
This recognition also highlights the consolidation of AI as a strategic asset, comparable to nuclear technology in its geopolitical significance. The focus on individual leaders rather than the technology itself emphasizes the human agency behind AI's rapid development.
However, this spotlight raises questions about the concentration of power among a few tech giants and entrepreneurs. The narrative of innovation may obscure concerns about AI's societal risks, including job displacement, mental health issues, and ethical dilemmas, which are increasingly prominent in public discourse.
Looking ahead, the prominence of these figures suggests AI will continue to influence policy and economy, with potential for both positive innovation and significant societal disruption. The next phase will likely involve regulatory frameworks and ethical standards to manage AI's growth responsibly.
What the papers say
The articles from SBS, AP News, The Independent, France 24, and NY Post collectively emphasize the significance of 2025 as a pivotal year for AI. SBS highlights Time's recognition of AI leaders as reshaping humanity and geopolitics, with a focus on the influence of figures like Huang, Altman, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Hassabis. AP News details the technological advancements and investments by companies like Nvidia, AMD, and OpenAI, illustrating the rapid growth and economic stakes involved. The Independent underscores the societal impact, noting AI's transition into mainstream life and the ethical concerns arising from its widespread use. France 24 echoes the global importance, framing AI as a tool of great-power competition and societal change. The NY Post emphasizes the recognition of individual innovators and the societal shifts driven by AI's rise, framing 2025 as the year AI became an undeniable force shaping the future.
How we got here
In 2025, AI shifted from experimental technology to mainstream influence, with widespread adoption of models like ChatGPT and Gemini. Major tech companies and entrepreneurs have invested heavily, reorienting policies and geopolitics. The year marked AI's critical role in global competition and societal change, driven by leaders such as Huang, Altman, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Hassabis.
Go deeper
More on these topics
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Jen-Hsun Huang (Chinese: 黃仁勳; pinyin: Huáng Rénxūn; Tâi-lô: N̂g Jîn-hun; born February 17, 1963), commonly known as Jensen Huang, is a Taiwanese and American business executive, electrical engineer, and philanthropist who is the founder, pres
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Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
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Samuel H. Altman is an American entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and blogger. He is the CEO of OpenAI and the former president of Y Combinator.
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Dario Amodei (born 1983) is an American artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, the company behind the frontier large language model series Claude. He was previously the vice president of research...
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Lisa Su is a Taiwan-born American business executive and electrical engineer, who is the chief executive officer and president of Advanced Micro Devices.
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Fei-Fei Li is an American computer scientist. She is the Sequoia Capital Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University. Li is a Co-Director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and a Co-Director of the Stanford Visi
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Sir Demis Hassabis (born 27 July 1976) is a British artificial intelligence (AI) researcher and entrepreneur. He is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, and a UK Government AI Adviser. In 2024, Hassabis and...
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Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American media magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding Facebook, Inc. and serves as its chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder.
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Time is an American weekly news magazine and news website published and based in New York City. It was first published in New York City on March 3, 1923 and for many years it was run by its influential co-founder Henry Luce.
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Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
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OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory consisting of the for-profit corporation OpenAI LP and its parent company, the non-profit OpenAI Inc.