TIME Magazine Unveils 100 Most Influential People in AI; BYD's Stella Li Named and Commended

TIME magazine has recently unveiled its 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in global artificial intelligence, featuring prominent tech leaders including OpenAI's Sam Altman and SpaceX's Elon Musk.

**BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li Amongst Few Automotive Manufacturing Representatives**

BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li stands out as one of the few honourees on this year's list representing the automotive and physical manufacturing sectors. TIME specifically highlighted that under Li's leadership, BYD has successfully integrated artificial intelligence into the physical world, taking AI from the virtual sphere into practical, real-world applications.

BYD has rolled out its "God's Eye" 5.0 advanced driver assistance system across both its entry-level and premium models, generating over 200 million kilometres of driving data daily. Furthermore, BYD is actively developing humanoid service robots and plans to establish more fully automated "lights-out factories" over the next 3 to 5 years.

**Stella Li: Honour Belongs to 120,000-Strong R&D Team; Aims to Make Tech Accessible to All**

Responding with modesty, Li remarked that this honour is far from an individual achievement, noting that behind the deployment of every technology lies the dedication of BYD's 120,000 R&D engineers. She emphasised: "Only when technology is truly woven into people's daily lives can it create genuine value. Our mission is to ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefits of advanced technology."

**Growing Chinese Presence Across Semiconductor, AI Model, and Robotics Supply Chains**

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the "TIME100 AI" list features over ten Chinese and ethnic Chinese figures spanning various supply chain sectors—including semiconductors, large language models, robotics, and physical manufacturing—highlighting the growing influence of the Chinese community in global AI advancement.