"Familiar Names in AI" - Meet the Eight Time 'Person of the Year' Honorees

"Architects of AI" Named as Persons of the Year
Highlighting Both the Brilliance and Shadows of Technological Advancement

The American weekly news magazine Time has jointly selected eight global technology leaders who have driven innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) as its 2024 "Person of the Year." On December 11 (local time), Time announced, "This year has been a period in which the potential of AI exploded," referring to these individuals as the "Architects of AI." Time unveiled two covers for its Person of the Year special issue. One is an illustration featuring the images of CEOs from AI companies.

The first cover features eight AI company CEOs: Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Elon Musk of Tesla, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, and Fei-Fei Li of World Labs. This cover pays homage to the famous 1932 photograph "Lunch atop a Skyscraper," taken during the construction of Rockefeller Center.

Time has unveiled two covers for its Person of the Year special issue. The first cover features eight AI company CEOs sitting side by side, while the second cover showcases a graphic structure shaped like the letters AI. This structure, resembling a construction site, hides the eight AI industry leaders throughout its design. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The other cover showcases a graphic structure shaped like the letters "AI." This structure, which resembles a construction site, hides the eight AI industry leaders throughout its design. Time explained, "This is a visualization of the incredibly complex technological revolution currently underway." Time added, "AI appeared to elevate medical research and productivity and to make the impossible possible," and evaluated, "It was a year in which it was difficult to discuss the future anywhere in the world without considering the influence of AI technology and its developers." The magazine also noted, "AI has emerged as a key variable amid policy changes during the Trump administration in the United States and the competitive dynamic between the U.S. and China."

However, Time also pointed out the darker side of AI proliferation. Editor-in-chief Jacobs stated, "Every advancement comes with a cost," highlighting issues such as resource consumption, job displacement, and the spread of misinformation. He said, "Power is becoming concentrated in the hands of a few corporate leaders, which will lead to significant progress but also greater inequality," and added, "The world economy is more dependent than ever on AI companies, making this an enormous gamble and raising concerns about a potential bubble."

Time has continued its annual selection since naming Charles Lindbergh, who succeeded in the first solo transatlantic flight, as its inaugural "Person of the Year" in 1927. Last year, the Person of the Year was President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House after winning the U.S. presidential election.