Five Best AI Stocks to Own Through 2035: A Complete Investment Guide

The artificial intelligence revolution is reshaping how companies create value, and institutional investors are racing to secure positions in what could become a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Research by Roots Analysis projects the global AI market could expand from approximately $270 billion today to over $5.2 trillion within the next decade. For investors seeking the best stocks for AI exposure, the opportunity extends beyond speculative bets on emerging startups—it includes established technology leaders with proven business models and deep AI capabilities.

The companies highlighted here represent the best AI stocks currently available for long-term portfolio positioning. They span both the infrastructure layer (hardware and cloud services) and the application layer (software and services), offering comprehensive exposure to the AI ecosystem.

Why AI is Reshaping Corporate Landscapes

The aggressive buildout of data centers and chip manufacturing capacity you’ve witnessed reflects something much larger: the infrastructure race for artificial intelligence dominance. Every hyperscaler—from Big Tech to financial institutions—is positioning itself for the coming AI wave. Companies that win in this space won’t just participate in a single AI application; they’ll control critical chokepoints across the entire technology stack.

For investors, this creates an unusual window of opportunity. Many future AI winners likely haven’t launched yet or remain privately held. However, smart capital allocation today means gaining exposure to both known winners and emerging competitors through major technology holding companies. This approach allows investors to build positions in multiple AI bets while maintaining relative stability.

Nvidia: The Hardware Backbone of Artificial Intelligence

Nvidia remains the central fixture in AI infrastructure, commanding approximately 92% of the data center GPU market. Think of the company as the power plant supplying electricity for artificial intelligence systems. Its CUDA programming environment created a competitive moat so strong that switching costs remain prohibitively high for hyperscalers, even as new competitors emerge.

The numbers tell the story: Nvidia’s order backlog stands at $500 billion, signaling sustained demand from cloud providers and enterprise AI deployments. The company’s dominance extends beyond current revenue; it reflects the infrastructure lock-in that will persist for years. While competitors are developing alternative chips, Nvidia’s ecosystem advantage suggests the company will remain a cornerstone holding for investors seeking AI exposure through hardware manufacturers.

Alphabet: Diversified Exposure Across AI Innovation

Google’s parent company operates across multiple AI opportunities simultaneously. Its consumer-facing ecosystem—including YouTube, Google Search, and Android—touches billions of users worldwide, creating massive data streams for AI model training and refinement. Beyond consumer products, Alphabet operates Google Cloud, a competing cloud services platform, and maintains roughly 7% ownership in SpaceX (including exposure to Starlink’s satellite internet infrastructure).

What distinguishes Alphabet as a premium AI investment is its chip design ambition. The company successfully developed the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), trained its own AI model called Gemini, and has begun offering these chips to external AI companies. This positions Alphabet not as a passive infrastructure provider but as an active participant across hardware, software, and artificial intelligence application layers. Few companies offer such comprehensive participation in the AI value chain.

Microsoft: Cloud Infrastructure Meets AI Software

Microsoft’s appeal as a best stock for AI lies in its dual exposure: world-class cloud infrastructure combined with strategic stakes in leading AI software companies. Azure, the company’s cloud platform, ranks second globally in cloud services market share, positioning it to capture significant AI workload volume as enterprise adoption accelerates.

The company’s 27% ownership stake in OpenAI—creator of ChatGPT—represents a remarkable hedge for investors. While OpenAI remains private, investors gain exposure to this leading AI enterprise through Microsoft shares. Additionally, Microsoft’s mature software businesses (Windows, Microsoft 365) generate reliable cash flows while paying shareholders a dividend increased for 23 consecutive years. This combination of growth potential (through Azure and AI partnerships) with income stability and fortress balance sheet makes Microsoft particularly suitable for conservative investors seeking AI exposure without excessive valuation risk.

Amazon: Strategic Positions in Private AI Companies

Amazon represents an unusual opportunity for investors wanting exposure to emerging AI businesses that remain privately held. Beyond its dominant e-commerce and AWS (Amazon Web Services) operations—which benefit from rising AI infrastructure demand—the company maintains an $8 billion stake in Anthropic, a direct competitor to OpenAI.

Owning Amazon stock therefore provides indirect investment access to Anthropic, one of the most promising autonomous AI companies. The e-commerce giant’s existing cloud services, advertising platform, and logistics operations create multiple growth vectors independent of AI, making the company less vulnerable to AI sentiment swings. The Anthropic partnership represents valuable optionality—a way to participate in frontier AI research through an established, profitable mega-cap technology company.

Palantir Technologies: AI Software Platform Growth

Palantir represents the earliest major public company focused specifically on enterprise AI software. The company’s proprietary platform enables custom AI application development, with acceleration beginning after launching its AIP (Artificial Intelligence Platform) in mid-2023. Palantir has experienced notable momentum winning both government and corporate contracts.

The company’s primary risk is valuation compression, though this risk diminishes given its growth trajectory and massive addressable market. With fewer than 1,000 customers currently, Palantir possesses substantial runway for customer acquisition over the decade ahead. For investors committed to the long-term thesis, pullbacks present opportunities to add positions before accelerating growth and market recognition potentially drive share prices substantially higher.

Building Your Long-Term AI Investment Portfolio

The best stocks for AI extend beyond any single company or sector—they span hardware pioneers like Nvidia, comprehensive technology platforms like Alphabet and Microsoft, cloud-powered giants like Amazon, and specialized software leaders like Palantir. Together, these five companies offer exposure to artificial intelligence across multiple value chain segments: chips, cloud infrastructure, software platforms, and enterprise applications.

Historical precedent suggests patient investors are rewarded. Netflix investors in December 2004 saw a $1,000 investment grow to $509,470. Nvidia investors from April 2005 received $1,167,988 on a similar $1,000 position. The Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor service has delivered a 991% average return versus 196% for the S&P 500, significantly outpacing market benchmarks.

The key difference between average and exceptional returns often comes down to conviction: holding quality companies through market volatility rather than chasing the next trend. These five stocks merit positions for investors comfortable with technology sector exposure and committed to the view that artificial intelligence represents a transformative force reshaping corporate economics through 2035 and beyond.