TIME magazine should name “The Architects of AI” as its Person of the Year for 2024. Today’s ruling underscores the great positive impact these people have had on our national society. TIME editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs returned the favor, in a big way. He noted how few people this year have had a more broad and significant impact than the thinkers, designers, and builders behind artificial intelligence. This decision further demonstrates AI’s transformative power, as the technology is rapidly reshaping many facets of daily life.
Our next Person of the Year issue magazine features an exhilarating cover story. It’s focused on the truly nightmarish ways that AI has changed our world in just the last year. Jacobs noted that this was the year when “artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view,” leading to the realization that society cannot simply opt out of this technological revolution. As AI’s capabilities are growing exponentially, the stakes for humanity are as thrilling as they are intimidating.
The Multi-Year Partnership with OpenAI
In June 2024, TIME signed a long-term content agreement with OpenAI. This partnership gives OpenAI the keys to TIME’s historic vault of American news reporting. Together, this partnership will help you enrich AI’s answers by making connections that bring historical perspectives together with modern-day realities. This unique partnership is an example of the exciting fusion happening between media and AI. It shows how existing institutions are strategically responding to the emergence of disruptive technologies.
Jacobs remarked on the significance of this partnership, stating, “Person of the Year is a powerful way to focus the world’s attention on the people that shape our lives.” He further elaborated that this year’s honorees have profoundly influenced not just technological advancements but societal discussions around ethics and responsibility in AI development.
Historical Context of Person of the Year
The Person of the Year title is awarded to those who have most influenced humanity in the past year. This is not without its controversial figures, including the likes of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Recent honorees include world figures and artists like Taylor Swift, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Greta Thunberg. The award does not support everything these winners think or stand for. Rather, it awards them when the opposite happens – either positively or negatively.
Jacobs points out that the “Person of the Year” title enchants wonky minds around the world. It tells the story of the people who have an outsized impact on our day-to-day lives. As he put it this year, “no one had a bigger effect than the people who dreamed it up, designed it, and created AI.” This recognition not only acknowledges the power but opens discourse on the ethical implications and responsibilities that accompany such powerful technology.
The Future of AI and Society
As our society collectively attempts to keep pace with the transformative changes brought about by artificial intelligence (AI), fears about its impact loom larger by the day. Jacobs goes on to picture the architects of AI “wowing and worrying humanity,” suggesting in powerful language that true innovation is both miraculous and menacing. He stressed that these developments go beyond tools—they reinvent what it means to be human.
