Three leaders of companies that use—or advocate for using—artificial intelligence spoke in a breakout session at the 2025 TIME100 Summit about how to find the balance between human interaction and technological innovation as American consumers grapple with the rise of AI.
At the event, Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, a travel technology company which is parent to Booking.com—a sponsor of the Summit—looked back at last year’s TIME 100 gathering, when he advocated for incorporating AI into companies as long as it was done “with a human touch.”
This year, Fogel says that the acceleration of AI is both more exciting and more scary than ever before. Though Booking.com does not yet have digital travel agents, Fogel says the company is “very close” to this kind of AI application.
“I think that’s both good and bad,” Fogel said. “If it’s able to do things more efficiently, make things better, make all of your experiences better, that’s great. But as it continues to replace human labor, how do we deal with our societal changes?”
The breakout session, titled “Reimagining Innovation: Leadership in a Changing World,” was moderated by Edward Felsenthal, former editor-in-chief of TIME Magazine. Joining Fogel were Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of accounting software company Xero.
Cadogan—a 2025 TIME 100 honoree—said that the goal of GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform where individuals can raise money for various personal or charitable causes, was to begin with the human stories of those asking for help, and to use technology to amplify those narratives. Research shows that it is hard to ask for help, Cadogan says, and he believes that technology can help individuals bridge that difficult gap and advocate for themselves. This includes creating prompts, headlines, and various “smart suggestions.”
Even with that, Cadogan said, “authenticity is fundamental…You have to start with the personal story, and then you help through the technologies and bring that story out and articulate it, and then spread it as widely as you can. That’s the balancing act; how do you get the right amount of the personal situation and then use the technology to help it become successful?”
Cassidy, who, with Xero, provides accounting software to small businesses, says that AI is a “net positive” and that it can help level the playing field for small businesses. She says that AI can be incredibly useful in helping small businesses remain competitive “driver[s] of economies,” She did not, however, downplay the risks of the technology.
“Look, I am a believer that AI, like anything, is an enabler. But you know, you want to use it rather than have it do something to you,” she said. “[AI] does, I believe, let people explore all their potential, and leave the more routine and automated tasks to tools, and gives them back time.”
All the same, Cassidy made sure to emphasize that a small business’s brand cannot be faked with AI. When a brand is authentic, she said, “you won’t ever lose the promise of a brand, the promise of community, the promise of connection.”
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The TIME100 Summit convenes leaders from the global TIME100 community to spotlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world. This year’s summit features a variety of speakers across a diverse range of sectors, including business, health and science, AI, culture, and more.
Speakers for the 2025 TIME100 Summit include human rights advocate Yulia Navalnaya; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; comedian Nikki Glaser; climate justice activist Catherine Colman Flowers; Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, and many more, plus a performance by Nicole Scherzinger.
The 2025 TIME100 Summit was presented by Booking.com, Circle, Diriyah Company, Prudential Financial, Toyota, Amazon, Absolut, Pfizer, and XPRIZE.