What do
Coca-Cola
and the
London Stock Exchange
have in common? They both could be big winners in the race to adopt artificial intelligence.
Tech has led this year’s stock market rally—and within that sector, AI players have shone exceptionally bright as Wall Street scrambles to tally the field’s profit potential.
Not surprisingly, the attention—and the stock gains—have largely gone to predictable Silicon Valley names such as those synonymous with software and the cloud.
Microsoft
(ticker: MSFT) and
Nvidia
(NVDA), for example, have easily outpaced the broader market this year.
Yet there are plenty of other companies, in sectors from consumer staples to healthcare to financials, that are rapidly incorporating AI into their own operations, according to a new report from
Citigroup.
Coca-Cola (KO) and the London Stock Exchange (LDNXF) were among those highlighted by the analysts, led by Amit Harchandani.
While it’s certainly too early to identify winners and losers, Harchandani notes, there are clear signs that some companies are “ahead of the curve” and others that face “a potentially material risk” to their business models.
Fintech is a space that is already using AI, the Citigroup team point out. The London Stock Exchange is using it to organize and combine data sets. And the U.S.-based companies on board include Visa (V) and
Mastercard
(MA)—they’re using the technology to monitor for fraud and identity theft—and
Charles Schwab
(SCHW), where the focus is improved customer service.
However, many more are harnessing AI well. Beverage companies Coca-Cola and
PepsiCo
(PEP) can better predict consumer behavior and create marketing content;
Yum China
(YUMC) has zeroed in on better delivery route optimization.
Walmart
(WMT), a Barron’s stock pick, “is ahead of other competitors in the AI space,” given its embrace of technology, the analysts note. And they included General Motors (GM), which we’ve also argued should be an AI stock.
That said, not all companies may find it easy to use AI for their own gain.
Harchandani and colleagues note that some brokers and asset managers, like
Raymond James Financial
(RJF), LPL Financials (LPLA), and
Stifel Financial
(SF) may find the traditional financial advisory model under threat from AI.
Ad agencies may see their revenues pressured by AI alternatives, a problem for firms such as IPG (IPG), while lowered barriers for entry create headaches for a number of creative companies, from
Adobe
(ADBE) to
Universal Music Group
(UMG) and
Warner Music
(WMG)—although Barron’s has argued worries about music labels are overblown.
Ultimately, AI is already making inroads in everyday life, from the products on store shelves to shopping itself. Although the scope—and threat—of AI can’t be known yet, given how rapidly the technology is moving, Citi’s assertion that it is a “game changer” seems clear enough.
As Harchandani writes, “it is incredibly important for companies and investors to understand the potential limitations of Generative AI and utilize it with caution.”
Caveat Emptor. At least until the robots tell us otherwise.
Write to Teresa Rivas at [email protected]
Read the full article here
