TIME hosted its inaugural TIME100 Impact Dinner: Leaders Shaping the Future of AI, in San Francisco on Monday evening. The event kicked off a weeklong celebration of the TIME100 AI, a list that recognizes the 100 most influential individuals in artificial intelligence across industries and geographies and showcases the technology’s rapid evolution and far-reaching impact.
TIME CEO Jessica Sibley set the tone for the evening, highlighting the diversity and dynamism of the 2024 TIME100 AI list. With 91 newcomers from last year’s inaugural list and honorees ranging from 15 to 77 years old, the group reflects the field’s explosive growth and its ability to attract talent from all walks of life.
Read More: At TIME100 Impact Dinner, AI Leaders Discuss the Technology’s Transformative Potential
The heart of the evening centered around three powerful toasts delivered by distinguished AI leaders, each offering a unique perspective on the transformative potential of AI and the responsibilities that come with it.
Reimagining power structures
Amba Kak, co-executive director of the AI Now Institute, delivered a toast that challenged attendees to look beyond the technical aspects of AI and consider its broader societal implications. Kak emphasized the “mirror to the world” quality of AI, reflecting existing power structures and norms through data and design choices.
“The question of ‘what kind of AI we want’ is really an opening to revisit the more fundamental question of ‘what is the kind of world we want, and how can AI get us there?’” Kak said. She highlighted the importance of democratizing AI decision-making, ensuring that those affected by AI systems have a say in their deployment.
Kak said she drew inspiration from frontline workers and advocates pushing back against the misuse of AI, including nurses’ unions staking their claim in clinical AI deployment and artists defending human creativity. Her toast served as a rallying cry for a more inclusive and equitable AI future.
Amplifying creativity and breaking barriers
Comedian, filmmaker, and AI storyteller King Willonius emphasized AI’s role in lowering the bar for who can be creative and giving voice to underrepresented communities. Willonius shared his personal journey of discovery with AI-assisted music composition, illustrating how AI can unlock new realms of creative expression.
“AI doesn’t just automate—it amplifies,” he said. “It breaks down barriers, giving voices to those who were too often left unheard.” He highlighted the work of his company, Blerd Factory, in leveraging AI to empower creators from diverse backgrounds.
Willonius’ toast struck a balance between enthusiasm for AI’s creative potential and a call for responsible development. He emphasized the need to guide AI technology in ways that unite rather than divide, envisioning a future where AI fosters empathy and global connection.
Accelerating scientific progress
AMD CEO Lisa Su delivered a toast that underscored AI’s potential to address major global challenges. Su likened the current AI revolution to the dawn of the industrial era or the birth of the internet, emphasizing the unprecedented pace of innovation in the field.
She painted a picture of AI’s transformative potential across various domains, from materials science to climate change research, and said that she was inspired by AI’s applications in healthcare, envisioning a future where AI accelerates disease identification, drug development, and personalized medicine.
“I can see the day when we accelerate our ability to identify diseases, develop therapeutics, and ultimately find cures for the most important illnesses in the world,” Su said. Her toast was a call to action for leaders to seize the moment and work collaboratively to realize AI’s full potential while adhering to principles of transparency, fairness, and inclusion.
The TIME100 Impact Dinner: Leaders Shaping the Future of AI was presented by Cognizant and Northern Data Group.
