Empires are the major factions in Humankind. The are controlled by either the player or the AI, can pick cultures and take the form of collection of several cultures across several eras. Most of the empires will stay until the end of a game; however, they can be also eliminated from the game as well.
Every Empire are represented by a roundel on the upper left corner of the screen. In the Diplomacy Screen, empires are also represented by their avatars.
Only Empires can engage in diplomatic relationships, expanding Territories, and compete for Fame. Independent Peoples don't have this level of agency.