TIME has named the “Architects of AI” as its 2025 Person of the Year, highlighting the unprecedented influence of artificial intelligence on global economics, politics, and daily life. This designation is not an honorary award but an assessment of the individuals and groups who most shaped world events during the year. In 2025, that impact came decisively from the leaders steering the evolution of AI.
Who Are the Architects of AI?
The group includes the executives and visionaries behind the world’s most advanced AI systems:
- Jensen Huang (Nvidia)
- Sam Altman (OpenAI)
- Elon Musk (xAI)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)
- Lisa Su (AMD)
- Demis Hassabis (DeepMind)
- Dario Amodei (Anthropic)
- Fei-Fei Li (Stanford/World Labs).
According to TIME’s special coverage, these figures represent the diverse scientific, business, and research agendas driving artificial intelligence forward.
Their collective work has positioned AI at the center of global innovation, with breakthrough models, expanding infrastructure, and rapid adoption defining the technological landscape of 2025.
The Impact of AI in 2025
This year marked the moment when artificial intelligence shifted from a future promise to an embedded, unavoidable presence. Across industries, organizations integrated AI to improve operations, automate processes, and accelerate research. Governments treated AI as a strategic asset, reshaping geopolitical priorities. Consumers, meanwhile, saw AI woven into communication, entertainment, healthcare, and education.
TIME cites Jensen Huang’s assessment to underscore the scale of the change: “Every industry needs it, every company uses it, and every nation needs to build it. This is the most impactful technology of our time.”
