Opinion: My Choice for Time's Person of the Year

Holly Thomas, a writer and editor in London, is the morning editor at Katie Couric Media. She tweets @HolstaT. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of the author. More opinions can be viewed on CNN.

Taylor Swift being named the "Person of the Year" by Times in 2023 has left me feeling unseen, as the only millennial woman on Earth.

Holly Thomas

Holly Thomas

OK, thats an exaggeration. But since the announcement, its felt like a specific corner of Spotify Wrapped got bitten by a radioactive spider and attained superhuman powers.

While I'm happy for her, I have no qualms about a seemingly pleasant person having a wonderful time, and there's no denying she's had an exceptional year. According to a feature in The Times, Swift has now released more No. 1 albums than any other woman in history, has world leaders vying for her to tour their nations, and has reportedly become a billionaire. "Swift is the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story," says Time. That's great, but I just don't find that story particularly compelling.

Ugh, I feel so critical. I'm well aware that this will upset people, and I'd never want to take away anyone's happiness. We've all had conversations with people who simply don't "get" the music or TV we're into. Typically, my response to such complaints is, "That's OK, it wasn't made for you." But part of what's making me so uncomfortable is the feeling that Swift, and the stories she tells through her music, are essentially aimed at me. If you lined me up alongside everyone I know who's currently praising her success, I'd be indistinguishable. But I'm not enthralled. That's not because I think there's anything wrong with her. If anything, my choice for Time's "Person of the Year" would be more problematic.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during night two of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 08, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Fernando Leon/TAS23/Getty Images

Opinion: No one does capitalism like Taylor Swift

The recipient of the title has historically been a controversial figure. The idea is not necessarily that the "best" person wins, although that has been the case at times. It's about recognizing the person who has had the most influence, for "good or ill," over the previous 12 months. Past winners have included Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Greta Thunberg, Martin Luther King Jr., and Elon Musk. This year's shortlist included the Hollywood strikers, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Barbie, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Trump prosecutors, King Charles III, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Time has ultimately named Altman as CEO of the year. I think he should have taken the top title.

In case he hasn't crossed your radar yet, Altman is the 38-year-old chief executive of OpenAI, the tech startup responsible for creating ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a revolutionary generative artificial intelligence chatbot that was launched in November 2022. It has astounded observers by passing exams at law and business schools, writing effective job applications and computer code, and composing part of a political speech for Israel's president.

The potential implications of that technology are both astounding and alarming, especially considering the possibility of misinformation campaigns influencing the 2024 presidential election. Numerous companies, including OpenAI, are competing to capture a share of the lucrative AI market, striving to create even more advanced systems. While the Biden administration has recently introduced legislation to regulate the rapidly expanding industry, the pace of development is so swift that governments often struggle to keep up.

On November 16, 2023, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is involved in the "Charting the Path Forward: The Future of Artificial Intelligence" discussion at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in San Francisco, California. The APEC Summit continues until November 17. (Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

The controversy surrounding Sam Altman serves as a pressing warning about the rapid and secretive nature of the AI industry. In November, less than a year after the launch of ChatGPT, Altman was abruptly dismissed by his company's board, only to be hired by Microsoft, OpenAI's major stakeholder, to lead a new AI team. This led to a widespread revolt among OpenAI's staff, with nearly all of them threatening to resign unless Altman was reinstated. Within days, he was rehired and the board that had fired him was replaced.

Altmans dismissal and subsequent rehiring were clouded in mystery. The original board accused Altman of lacking consistency in communication without further explanation. Furthermore, Altman's return and OpenAI's restructuring were hailed as a victory for AI accelerationists who advocate for rapid, unconstrained development of technology. It has underscored Altman's ability to not only spearhead a significant invention of the 21st century but also disrupt the system that produced it within days.

In contrast, Swift's recognition as Time "Person of the Year" is, in my opinion, lacking. While her prominence in the entertainment industry is undeniable, her story revolves around achieving mega-success within an existing framework. As stated by Swift herself, we live in a patriarchal society driven by money, and the success of feminine ideas will lead to more female art production. It's comparable to saying, "If you can't beat them, join them."

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In November, Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in America, made a bold move by hiring their very first Swift correspondent, 35-year-old Bryan West. Despite his clear admiration for Swift, West argues that his bias is no different than that of a sports journalist who supports the home team. As Swift's popularity shows no signs of diminishing, it is clear that there will continue to be a demand for stories about her, catering to professional interests like West's.

That's why Altman, not Swift, should have been named Times "Person of the Year." His impact on the world has the potential to be exponentially more significant, but unfortunately, not enough people are aware of his technology or its implications. While every move Swift makes receives intense interest and speculation, in San Francisco, Altman is quietly making moves that could potentially change the course of the world. And up until a month ago, most of us were unaware of his existence.