In a move that underscores the profound and disruptive influence of new technology, TIME magazine has named "The Architects of AI" as its 2025 Person of the Year. The designation honors the individuals responsible for imagining, designing, and building the artificial intelligence systems that have fundamentally reshaped global headlines, industry, and daily life over the past year.
In announcing the choice, TIME's editor-in-chief wrote that 2025 was the year AI’s "full potential roared into view," making it clear that there is "no turning back or opting out."
The Iconic Cover: 'Lunch Atop a Digital Skyscraper'
The issue features a striking, instantly recognizable cover illustration—the one you provided—which is a creative homage to the famous 1932 photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.”
Instead of Depression-era construction workers, the image depicts the key figures of the AI revolution perched precariously on a steel beam high above a modern cityscape. This visual metaphor symbolizes their commanding position at the summit of a new technological buildout, literally shaping the world below.
The eight key figures featured on the cover and recognized as the "Architects of AI" include:
Mark Zuckerberg (CEO, Meta)
Elon Musk (CEO, xAI/Tesla)
Jensen Huang (CEO, Nvidia)
Sam Altman (CEO, OpenAI)
Lisa Su (CEO, Advanced Micro Devices, AMD)
Demis Hassabis (CEO, Google's DeepMind)
Dario Amodei (CEO, Anthropic)
Fei-Fei Li (Professor & Director, Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute)
A Force for 'Better or for Worse'
TIME deliberately chose a group of people—the builders—rather than the technology itself, recognizing the concentrated human influence driving this revolution.
Transformative Impact: The magazine highlights the unprecedented speed and scope of AI's adoption. From solving long-standing scientific problems and accelerating medical research to dominating political and economic discussions, the technology's influence has been ubiquitous.
The Trade-Offs: The article does not shy away from the duality of AI's impact. Alongside the benefits, the feature explores the significant trade-offs, including the massive energy requirements for running large models, the rapid obsolescence of certain human jobs, and the escalating challenge of AI-generated misinformation.
Concentrated Power: The selection also draws attention to the extraordinary concentration of wealth and power within this small group of tech leaders, many of whom have seen their fortunes soar over the last few years of the AI boom.
In the end, TIME honors the unparalleled influence of these individuals, stating they are recognized "For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible."
