Jimmy Kimmel Critiques Time’s 2025 Person of the Year

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took a jab at Time magazine’s choice for its 2025 Person of the Year, which features eight prominent tech CEOs dubbed “the architects of AI.” He referred to them as “the eight idiots of the apocalypse.”

On the latest episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” he expressed criticism not just about the selection but also about the cover design, likening it to “Photoshop in 2007.” The cover showcases notable figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, xAI’s Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, AMD’s Lisa Su, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Stanford’s Fei-Fei Li.

Kimmel humorously noted, “Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and five other mismatched tech sisters and brothers who are architects of AI are this year’s winners,” prompting a booing response from the audience.

He commented on the word “architects,” questioning if it’s typical for architects to design buildings without understanding how they function or the potential backlash they might face.

Addressing concerns about the future of jobs due to AI, Kimmel pointed out the irony that individuals who may displace workers are being honored with this award.

He turned his attention back to the cover, suggesting that the producers display it again for further critique. He quipped, “I like to say that everything you can do graphically with AI is like Photoshop in 2007.”

Time magazine described the cover art by digital artist Jason Seiler as a tribute to a famous 1932 photograph showing construction workers on a steel girder high above New York City.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into society, predictions regarding its impact are gaining traction.

Kimmel’s sharp commentary on this year’s honorees echoes broader conversations around the implications of AI for humanity. Last year, Trump was named the 2024 Person of the Year by the publication.