The “Architects of AI” have been honored as Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2025, announced on Thursday.

This year was marked by the undeniable emergence of artificial intelligence, as its potential became unmistakably clear, according to the publication.

“For ushering in the era of intelligent machines, for both fascinating and alarming the world, and for reshaping the present while expanding the realm of possibility, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” the magazine declared in a post on social media.

AI was a strong contender for this prestigious title, as noted by prediction markets. Other frontrunners included tech leaders like Jensen Huang from Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Additionally, Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the papacy following Pope Francis’s passing, was in the running, along with figures such as President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and New York’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

In the previous year, Trump was recognized as Time’s Person of the Year for 2024 after securing a second term in the White House. This followed Taylor Swift’s designation as the 2023 Person of the Year.

The magazine’s selection dates from 1927, when its editors have picked the person they say most shaped headlines over the previous 12 months.