Time Magazine Names “Architect of AI” as 2025 Person of the Year
On Thursday, Time Magazine announced its 2025 Person of the Year, recognizing an “Architect of AI.” The publication highlighted that this year marked a significant moment when the potential of artificial intelligence became undeniably evident.
In a social media update, Time stated, “For their accomplishments that bring forth the era of intelligent machines, which have surprised and sometimes startled humanity, thus transforming our current reality and overcoming initial skepticism, architects of AI are honored as TIME’s 2025 Persons of the Year.”
Interestingly, the magazine focused on the individuals who envisioned, crafted, and implemented AI, rather than the technology itself—though this isn’t the first time it has happened.
Editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs elaborated on this selection saying they recognized not only individuals but also groups, noticing a rise in female representation. He recalled that, in rare instances, they had named concepts, such as the endangered planet or the personal computer in the past. “The controversy around Steve Jobs’ computer decisions eventually led to a book and a film,” he added.
The cover illustration features eight prominent tech leaders sitting atop a beam, reminiscent of a famous 1930s photograph. It showcases Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, who recently started her own venture, World Labs.
One of the alternate covers displays scaffolding around massive letters spelling “AI,” designed to look like computer components.
Thomas Hasson, a principal analyst at Forrester, shared via email that it’s fitting for Time to highlight AI, as 2025 was pivotal in transitioning AI from a niche technology to something that mainstream consumers now embrace.
Time also made note of the presence of AI company CEOs at President Trump’s inauguration this year, signaling a major advancement in the field.
Jacobs concluded that this year was when AI’s full potential became evident and that there was simply no going back.
In prediction markets, AI was a leading candidate for the top honor, alongside figures like Hwang and Altman. Other notable names considered for the title include Leo XIV, the first U.S. pope eligible for election following Pope Francis’ passing, as well as Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani.
Trump, who recently won re-election, was named the magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year, succeeding Taylor Swift.
Time’s tradition of selecting a Person of the Year began in 1927, aimed at honoring individuals who have notably influenced the year’s news events.
