The rise of artificial intelligence set the investment landscape on fire, with the race to uncover the best AI stocks in full swing. The top AI stocks to buy are set for a meteoric ascent as AI permeates our lives at a breathtaking pace.

Grand View Research forecasts that the global AI market could skyrocket from a staggering $137 billion in 2022 to an eye-popping $1.81 trillion by 2030. Some even argue we’re on the edge of an ‘iPhone moment.’

Innovative generative AI platforms like ChatGPT have already made their presence felt, making this sector a hotbed of opportunity. Despite the crowded field, savvy investors diligently seek top AI growth stocks and AI stock picks to capitalize on this inflection point.

So, as AI continues to revolutionize our homes and businesses, staying on the sidelines isn’t an option at this point.

Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has arguably been the tech stock that has benefited the most from the proliferation of AI this year. Its dominated headlines this year with its investments in OpenAI, the architect of the revolutionary ChatGPT.

As MSFT looks to advance AI integration in corporate applications, it rightfully earns its spot as the leading AI stock to scoop up.

Judging from recent developments, generative AI will be a key theme for MSFT for the foreseeable future. It recently unveiled the Dynamics 365 Copilot, a cutting-edge tool tailored for business applications in sales, marketing, and customer service.

It plans to leverage the power of AI across its core software offerings, including its Bing search engine and the Office software suite. Bing is chomping away at Google’s market share and could become a major player in the sector.

Nvidia (NVDA)

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) has established itself as a trailblazer in the AI domain, excelling in creating high-performance microchips fueling AI software and services.

Its founder, Jensen Huang, highlights the growing business demand for AI platforms is critical in addressing rising operational costs. Consequently, enterprises are quickly adopting cloud-first AI strategies for swift and scalable development.

Nvidia boasts a long-standing reputation as an industry pioneer. To put things in perspective, in 2016, Nvidia supplied OpenAI with one of the world’s first AI supercomputers to power its expansion of large language models.

Even today, OpenAI continues to train its LLMs using thousands of Nvidia’s advanced graphics chips.

Furthermore, Nvidia offers an impressive array of in-house AI solutions, including its Launchpad program, along with its robust GPUs that continue to fuel the AI sector’s growth.

Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)

To think that a cutting-edge company like Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, GOOGL) will remain passive following the blockbuster launch of ChatGPT is a grave misconception. Alphabet quickly responded to ChatGPT by unveiling its own powerful AI chatbot, Bard.

Though the initial launch might not have been in line with its expectations, the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology offers ample opportunity for the firm to catch up and refine its offering.

In recent years, the tech behemoth has shifted focus away from several ambitious projects, which should allow it to focus on AI.

Leveraging its extensive experience in deep learning, Alphabet is well-positioned to dominate the space in the years to come.

Despite the introduction of ChatGPT, Google still commands 93.37% of search queries across all search engine providers. Although Microsoft’s Bing may gain on Google, it still holds less than a tenth of Google’s market share in search right now, highlighting Google’s stronghold in the industry.

C3.AI (AI)

AI technology holds massive potential for boosting valuations of top pure-plays such as C3.AI (NYSE:AI). The firm specializes in the enterprise AI realm with a unique suite of services.

Its laser-focused strategy positions it to effectively capitalize on the mega-trend at an accelerated pace. Hence, its stock could speed up at a breathtaking pace in the future, with an 18% upside from current levels, according to Tipranks’ analysts.

According to C3.AI CEO Tom Siebel, the AI sphere is on the cusp of becoming a $600 billion addressable software market. He predicts everyone will soon use enterprise AI applications, akin to the widespread adoption of PCs, relational databases, and CRM. It positions stalwarts such as C3.ai appears to become a leading player in its application.

The company generates sales by developing AI solutions and software for industry giants such as Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, demonstrating its prowess and potential in the ever-expanding AI landscape.

CrowdStrike (CRWD)

CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) is a cutting-edge cybersecurity technology firm that effectively delivers endpoint security, along with threat intelligence and cyber-attack response services.

CrowdStrike’s threat hunters identify and thwart the most sophisticated threats using its robust AI-generated alert signals and advanced testing tools.

Statista reports the firm’s Falcon platform dominates the endpoint security market with a remarkable 12.6% market share. Riding the wave of robust demand for endpoint solutions, CrowdStrike has been flourishing at an astronomical pace.

It boasts over 50% year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2022 as one of the handful of software-as-a-service companies to achieve this feat.

Looking forward, CrowdStrike’s growth trajectory remains remarkably strong. The company should drive healthy revenue growth through customer acquisitions, partnerships, and leveraging its land-and-expand model to monetize existing client relationships.

ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF (THNQ)

Perhaps one of the best ways to dabble in an emerging sector is through an exchange-traded fund.

After all, an ETF allows you to gain exposure to a swath of securities within a particular sector with a single investment. With that said, one of the premier ETFs in the AI realm is the ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF (NYSEARCA:THNQ).

The THNQ ETF encompasses businesses that are effectively forging the technological backbone and infrastructure which powers AI, including computing, data, and cloud services.

It incorporates businesses using AI in diverse sectors across areas such as eCommerce, business processes, and healthcare. The ETF offers exposure to industry giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and 65 additional AI-related holdings.

SoundHound AI (SOUN)

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) is turning heads with conversational AI technology. The company has its sights set on the burgeoning automotive industry, integrating voice assistants into vehicles and tapping into a colossal market.

With an ambitious goal of seeing 90% of new cars equipped with voice assistants, SoundHound could establish its presence as a market leader in the niche.

Their latest product, SoundHound Chat AI, heralds a new era of voice-enabled, conversational AI. The firm delivers a digital assistant experience seen only in science-fiction movies by merging software engineering, machine learning, and generative AI.

Keyvan Mohajer, the company CEO, asserts that conversational AI has reached a pivotal moment. This is marked by the firm’s 45%+ growth in the past year and incredibly encouraging estimates ahead. With their proprietary Dynamic Interaction and Generative AI solutions, SoundHound is perfectly poised to catalyze the next technological frontier.