Time Names "Architects of AI" as Person of the Year (Comprehensive)

Jensen Huang, Zuckerberg, Musk, and Six Others Named
"AI, the Most Important Tool in Great Power Rivalry Since Nuclear Weapons"
Jensen Huang: "Every Industry Needs AI"

The American current affairs weekly Time has selected business leaders who have driven the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) as the "Person of the Year."

The American current affairs weekly Time has selected "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Designers" as the "Person of the Year." From left to right: Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Lisa Su (AMD), Elon Musk (Tesla), Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), and Fei-Fei Li (WorldLabs) CEOs. Time website

On December 11 (local time), Time announced that the "Architects of AI" are the Person of the Year. This group consists of eight CEOs leading AI-related companies: Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Elon Musk of Tesla, Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, and Fei-Fei Li of WorldLabs. The cover of Time was themed after the famous photograph "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," which captured workers constructing New York City's Rockefeller Center in 1932.

Time stated, "This year, as the potential of AI became powerfully evident, it became clear that there is no going back or escaping to a pre-AI era," adding, "No one had a greater impact than the individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI."

Time also remarked, "Whatever the question, AI was the answer," noting, "AI accelerated medical research and productivity, and seemed to make the impossible possible. It was difficult to read or watch anything without encountering news about the rapid development of AI technology and the people leading it." The magazine continued, "No corporate leader could talk about the future without mentioning the impact of this technological revolution. No parent or teacher could ignore how their teenage children or students were using AI."

Time assessed that AI and business leaders have had a significant influence on the policies of the Donald Trump administration in the United States, and that AI has also become a major factor in international relations, including U.S.-China competition. Time wrote, "AI has changed the direction of government policy, shifted geopolitical rivals, and brought robots into households," and added, "AI has become the most important tool in great power competition since the advent of nuclear weapons."

Time also pointed out that there is a darker side behind AI’s spectacular progress. The magazine cited numerous side effects, including the consumption of resources such as electricity and water, job losses, the spread of fake news, cyberattacks, and the concentration of immense power in the hands of a few business leaders.

In an interview with Time, CEO Huang stated, "Every industry needs AI, every company uses AI, and every country must build AI systems. AI is the most influential technology of our era." He added, "There is a belief that the combined global GDP is capped at 100 trillion dollars, but AI will raise that ceiling to 500 trillion dollars."

Thomas Hudson, Chief Economist at the American market research firm Forrester Research, commented that this year's selection reflects the global impact of AI, stating, "AI was at the center of the economy this year and became the starting point for endless debates about how it will transform our society going forward."

Since featuring Charles Lindbergh, who made the first nonstop transatlantic flight in 1927, on its cover, Time has selected a Person of the Year annually. Last year, President Trump, who returned to the White House after winning the U.S. presidential election, was chosen.