100 Most Influential AI Figures of 2026
US magazine TIME has released its fourth annual list of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence (AI). Titled “TIME100 AI 2026,” the list features technology executives, researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, labour activists and figures from the creative industries. The list highlights people who are shaping the development and future direction of AI as the technology rapidly expands and affects economies and societies worldwide.
The 100 figures are divided into four categories: Leadership, Innovation, Impact and Thinking. The categories cover AI development, infrastructure, applications, policymaking and the broader social impact of the technology.
The Leadership category includes OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen and President Greg Brockman. It also features SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Anthropic co-founders Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, and ByteDance Chairman and CEO Liang Rubo. Other technology leaders recognised for developing AI infrastructure and computing capabilities include Broadcom CEO Hock Tan, Oracle Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, and CoreWeave co-founder and CEO Michael Intrator.
The Innovation category includes OpenEvidence founder Daniel Nadler, Cursor CEO Michael Truell, Moonshot AI CEO Yang Zhilin, Caltech professor Anima Anandakumar and Cerebras Systems co-founder and CEO Andrew Feldman. The list also highlights AI’s growing influence on the creative industries. Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck, Suno co-founder and CEO Mickey Schulman, and technology entrepreneur Mohammed Musa are among those featured in the category.
The Impact category includes International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who works to address the global digital divide and expand participation in AI development. Actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also recognised for his work with the AI Creators Alliance, which seeks greater involvement of artists and the public in decisions about AI development and use while protecting creative rights. The list comes amid growing global debate over AI’s impact on technology, business, society and the workplace. TIME noted that the work of those featured is closely linked to questions about the future direction of AI and its effect on people’s lives.
Sources: TIME, Anadolu Agency
