For the first time, TIME magazine has made the bold choice to designate a collective rather than an individual as “Person of the Year.” The “Architects of Artificial Intelligence,” a group of eight influential figures in the tech sector, have been chosen for their decisive contribution to the evolution of AI in 2025. Discover the fascinating journeys of these leaders whose innovations are redefining our future.
The 3 must-know facts
- TIME Magazine has selected for the first time a collective, the “Architects of Artificial Intelligence,” as “Person of the Year.”
- Among the members of the collective are iconic figures such as Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg.
- TIME’s choice highlights the major influence of AI on global news and its both positive and controversial implications.
The AI leaders: an introduction
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has transformed his company into a key player in AI chips. Originally from Taiwan, he emigrated to the United States at the age of nine and co-founded Nvidia in 1993. Today, the company is valued at over 3 trillion dollars.
Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, is known for launching ChatGPT, the fastest-growing application in history. Despite internal tensions at OpenAI, he continues to promote AI development while warning of its potential dangers.
The strategic choices of artificial intelligence
Elon Musk, famous for his companies Tesla and SpaceX, founded xAI in 2023. His approach to AI, with the chatbot Grok, is intended to be less conventional and more provocative than that of his competitors. His relationship with AI is complicated, oscillating between development and criticism.
Mark Zuckerberg redirected Meta’s efforts towards artificial intelligence after the failure of the metaverse. By making his LLaMA language models open source, he hopes to set new standards in the industry.
Less publicized but influential figures
Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, has revitalized the semiconductor company, now competing with Nvidia. Under her leadership, AMD’s market capitalization has increased fiftyfold.
Dario Amodei, co-founder of Anthropic, advocates for ethical and secure AI. His company, supported by giants like Google and Amazon, offers a cautious approach to AI-related risks.
The stakes and reflections around AI
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, played a crucial role in the development of AlphaFold, a major breakthrough in protein structure prediction. His work reveals a scientific aspect of AI, in search of fundamental discoveries.
Fei-Fei Li, a pioneer in computer vision, created ImageNet, a revolutionary database. She continues to innovate with World Labs, her new company focused on spatial intelligence.
Context: TIME’s choice and its implications
TIME Magazine chose the “Architects of Artificial Intelligence” for their major impact on global news, while emphasizing that this recognition is not necessarily a tribute. The magazine had already honored controversial figures in the past, illustrating that influence, whether perceived positively or not, is the main criterion.
In 2025, the debate on the use of AI remains intense, between technological progress and ethical concerns. The sector’s leaders, through their strategic choices and vision, are shaping a future where AI plays a decisive role.