In a headline that shifted the spotlight from the future to the present, Time magazine announced on TODAY Dec. 11 that it has named the “Architects of AI” its 2025 Person of the Year. The decision marks a shift in focus toward the people building, designing, and shaping artificial intelligence, a technology that has become almost inescapable in American life this year.
The Announcement and Its Context
Time Editor‑in‑Chief Sam Jacobs told TODAY hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin that this year feels like the moment when AI designers stopped debating how to create the technology and began racing to deploy it. He added that the consequences for society are enormous. Jacobs compared the current concentration of power in a few individuals to the Gilded Age, saying, “I think never before since then has so much power been concentrated in so few individuals, and we know what happened then — amazing progress, but also incredible inequality.”
The magazine’s Person of the Year is chosen by its editors each year since 1927 and reflects the influence a person or group has had on the news within the past year. Time has previously honored inanimate objects and groups, such as “The Computer” in 1982 and “The Guardians” in 2018, and has named tech leaders like Elon Musk in 2021 and Mark Zuckerberg in 2010.
AI’s Dual Impact
The cover story examines the tension between those eager to push AI forward and everyday people who fear its potentially widespread harmful effects. Time also highlighted Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, who told Time that AI is “the single most impactful technology of our time” and that every industry, company, and nation needs it. Huang’s quote underscores the urgency and ubiquity of AI across sectors.
Two Distinct Covers
Time released two different covers for the 2025 issue, each illustrated by a different artist to capture the duality of AI—man versus machine.
First Cover: Jason Seiler’s “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” Tribute
The first cover pays homage to the famous 1932 photograph “Lunch atop a Skyscraper.” Digital painter Jason Seiler reimagines the image with the following tech leaders seated on a rooftop:
- Mark Zuckerberg, Meta
- Lisa Su, Advanced Micro Devices
- Elon Musk, xAI
- Jensen Huang, Nvidia
- Sam Altman, Open AI
- Demis Hassabis, DeepMind Technologies
- Dario Amodei, Anthropic
- Fei‑Fei Li, Stanford’s Human‑Centered AI Institute; World Labs
Second Cover: Peter Crowther’s “AI Under Construction”
Illustrator and graphics animator Peter Crowther created a structure covered in scaffolding, with the letters “AI” under construction. The same group of leaders appears in the design:
- Jensen Huang, Nvidia
- Elon Musk, xAI
- Dario Amodei, Anthropic
- Lisa Su, AMD
- Mark Zuckerberg, Meta
- Demis Hassabis, DeepMind Technologies
- Fei‑Fei Li, Stanford’s Human‑Centered AI Institute; World Labs
- Sam Altman, OpenAI
A Brief Look at Past Person of the Year Selections
Time’s 2025 Person of the Year follows President Donald Trump, who was named in 2024. Trump’s role in the AI conversation was highlighted by his announcement of the Stargate Project the day after his inauguration, a partnership with Open AI’s Sam Altman and Oracle’s Larry Ellison that pledged up to $500 billion to build AI data centers across the country. The project brought together major AI names, including SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, and Microsoft.
Other notable past selections include:
- 1982: “The Computer” (the first inanimate object recognized)
- 2006: “You” (the World Wide Web and content creators)
- 2023: Taylor Swift (first arts figure honored)
- 2018: “The Guardians” (journalists facing persecution)
- 2017: “The Silence Breakers” (women speaking out in the #MeToo movement)
- 2021: Elon Musk (Tesla)
- 2010: Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)
Availability and Publication
The 2025 Person of the Year issue is now live on Time.com. Physical copies will be available on newsstands and at The Magazine Shop starting Dec. 19.
Key Takeaways
- Time’s 2025 Person of the Year is the collective “Architects of AI,” reflecting the technology’s pervasive influence.
- Two covers feature the same group of tech leaders, presented through contrasting artistic visions.
- The announcement follows President Trump’s 2024 Person of the Year title and his involvement in the Stargate AI data‑center initiative.
The decision to honor the architects of AI signals a recognition that the technology has moved beyond theoretical debate into everyday reality, reshaping industries, societies, and the very fabric of American life.
Closing
As AI continues to weave itself into the national narrative, Time’s spotlight on its builders underscores the urgency of understanding both its promise and its peril. The dual covers and the collective title invite readers to consider who is shaping the future and how that future will unfold.
References
- TODAY.com article (Dec. 11, 2024)
- Time magazine 2025 Person of the Year issue
- Interviews with Sam Jacobs and Jensen Huang
- Cover art by Jason Seiler and Peter Crowther
Further Reading
- Time’s coverage of the Stargate Project
- History of Time’s Person of the Year selections
- Profiles of the AI leaders featured on the covers
