Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is one of the most influential names in the AI sector, and to some, like tech analyst Dan Ives, he’s known as the "Godfather of AI." When listing names that are reshaping AI and building on its growth in 2026, many would have a hard time coming up with 100 names more important than Huang.
That’s why it may come as a big surprise that the Time 100 AI 2026 list didn’t feature Huang, who was on the list the first three times it was published, starting in 2023.
Ben Affleck, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paris Hilton and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Those names all make the 2026 list and are said to be more influential to AI this year than Huang.
AI Power Dynamics In 2026
"Meet the innovators, leaders, and thinkers reshaping our world through groundbreaking advances in artificial intelligence," Time says.
