Time magazine has named the “Architects of AI” as its 2025 Person of the Year, with two covers: one showing the title as if it’s under construction, and another paying homage to the classic 1932 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' photo, featuring AI industry leaders such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, xAI’s Elon Musk, and AMD’s Lisa Su, among others. This year, the magazine opted to highlight AI’s sweeping influence on society, from media and politics to the workplace.
"This was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out. Whatever the question was, AI was the answer," says Sam Jacobs, Time's editor-in-chief.
Every year, Time magazine publishes a special annual issue with their choice for Person of the Year, accompanied by an iconic cover photo. In recent years, this honorable title has been given to the likes of Greta Thunberg, Barack Obama, and Pope Francis. However, the recipients are not always what you'd call honorable. To say some of them have been controversial is really underselling it!
Time make their choice based on who they believe had the most influence that year, whether that influence was good or bad. There have already been more than 100 'winners' since the issue was first launched in 1927.
Let's take a look at some of the most controversial choices for Person of the Year in this gallery. Click on for more.