The Motley Fool·2026-02-01 05:00Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the long-term impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the market and identifies three stocks—Alphabet, Microsoft, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing—as strong investment opportunities for the future [1][2]. Group 1: Alphabet - Alphabet has regained its position as a leading player in the AI sector, with its Gemini generative AI model being one of the best available [3]. - The company possesses unique advantages, such as access to personal information, which allows Gemini to create tailored experiences for users, a feature that competitors cannot replicate [3][5]. - Alphabet's substantial resources enable it to sustain operations at a loss longer than smaller competitors, positioning it to dominate the market in the future [5][6]. Group 2: Microsoft - Microsoft adopts a partnership approach in the AI landscape, holding a significant stake in OpenAI and providing access to multiple AI models through its Azure cloud platform [7]. - This neutrality in AI model selection has contributed to Azure's rapid growth compared to its competitors [7][9]. - Microsoft is viewed as a solid investment in the AI sector, with its strategy likely to yield gradual gains as AI adoption increases [9]. Group 3: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing - Taiwan Semiconductor is crucial for AI technology, as it manufactures chips that power major computing players like Nvidia, which only designs chips [10]. - Despite concerns about the longevity of AI computing capacity, the short lifespan of GPUs (typically one to three years) suggests ongoing demand for chips, ensuring a steady market for Taiwan Semiconductor [12]. - The company is still in the early stages of benefiting from AI growth, with many announced data centers not expected to become operational until several years later, making it a compelling long-term investment [13].