Why Time really chose ‘AI Builders’ as Person of the Year: The surprising backstory is here

ISLAMABAD: Time magazine has revealed the real reason behind selecting the “AI Builders” as its 2025 Person of the Year, with officials on Thursday highlighting the key figures driving the global artificial intelligence revolution.

Many observers have called the decision timely and significant.

Explaining the choice, Time magazine’s Sam Jacobs said the defining factor was AI’s unparalleled power and influence throughout 2025. He described AI as a rapidly advancing force that is consistently turning the impossible into reality.

“This was the year when AI’s full potential roared into view—and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out,” Jacobs wrote. “Whatever the question was, AI was the answer.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also weighed in, noting that AI technologies have the capacity to “reshape global economics entirely.” Pointing to the explosive adoption of AI across nearly every sector, he said, “Every industry needs it, every company uses it, and every nation needs to build it.”

AI safety expert Anthony Aguirre struck a more cautious tone, warning that leading AI companies are “working feverishly to replace humans in every facet of life,” adding that the consequences could be severe without proper safeguards.

With its latest selection, Time marks a pivotal moment in technological history. Experts predict that within the next few years, work itself may become optional, ushering in an era of “survival of the fittest”—a future where only those skilled in AI could hold exponential advantage.