Time and OpenAI are building on a partnership formed in 2024 to educate people on artificial intelligence.
It’s a tall order, given the
fear and misinformation that now prevail, but it is occurring as Time has named The Architects of AI as its person(s) of the year. The issue hits on Dec.
19.
Why celebrate them, and not Donald Trump or Taylor Swift, say?
“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,” writes Sam Jacobs, editor in chief
of Time, explaining the choice. “This year, no one had a greater impact than the individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI.”
Jacobs adds, “For
these reasons, we recognize a force that has dominated the year’s headlines, for better or for worse.”
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Meanwhile, the new proect between.Time and OpenAI designed
to help people build “real fluency in AI — how it works, where it’s useful, and how to use it,” says Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer for OpenAI.
OpenAI has already powered several Time projects, including the launch of Time AI, the 2024 Person of the Year, the AI Audio Briefs in June of this year, and time AI Agent,
which recently debuted.
Not every publisher is in love with OpenAI, as you can tell by the number of lawsuits filed against it. But Time has a relationship with the company and sees a
need to explain the technology to its audience.
"In 2025, the leaders shaping, building, and driving transformation in AI wield unparalleled influence as this technology reshapes the
world,” says Jessica Sibley, chief executive officer of Time. “Time is committed to serving our audiences with the trusted guidance and clarity they
need to navigate the forces defining this historic moment and what comes next. Our mission has never been more important.”
“Time has long helped people make sense of the world around them, and this partnership brings that trusted context together with accessible AI literacy for a
much broader audience,” Lehane adds.
How important is AI to the economy? “The AI boom seemed to swallow the economy into “a
black hole that’s pulling all capital towards it,” says Paul Kedrosky, an investor and research fellow at MIT. “Where skeptics spied a bubble, the revolution’s leaders saw the
dawn of a new era of abundance."