2 Outstanding AI Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next Decade

Investors who foresaw the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry -- and bought shares of some of its leaders, such as Nvidia -- are sitting pretty right now. The good news for others who didn't get in on the party early on is that there is still ample room for AI-focused companies to deliver excellent returns over the long run. The key is to pick the right corporations, purchase their shares, and stick with them through thick and thin. And in that spirit, two AI stocks that I think look attractive right now are Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Here is why both could beat the market over the next 10 years.

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1. Microsoft

Microsoft's shares have dropped 19% over the past six months. Besides the company's significant capex spending, many investors worry that the new artificial intelligence (AI) world order will disrupt its business. If that happens, the spending won't pay off, revenue growth will decline, and margins will compress. Despite those fears, Microsoft is performing relatively well. During the third quarter of its fiscal year 2026, ending on March 31, Microsoft's revenue climbed 18% year over year to $82.9 billion. The company's biggest growth driver, Azure, posted 40% year-over-year sales growth.

Microsoft plans to continue spending heavily on its AI ambitions. That is still an issue for the market. That said, the evidence suggests that the company's top-line growth should remain healthy for the foreseeable future. Consider, for instance, Microsoft Cloud (including Azure), which ended the period with $627 billion in contracted obligations, up 99% year over year. The company said that 25% of that -- or about $156.8 billion -- will be recognized in the next 12 months, an increase of 39% year over year.

Meanwhile, the company also said its AI business now has an annual revenue run rate of more than $37 billion, up 123% year over year. AI has been a boost to Microsoft's operations, and it could continue growing at a good clip, which arguably justifies Microsoft's heavy spending. Further, Microsoft is a highly innovative company. In my view, it will continue to find ways to incorporate AI into its business to improve its products and services, making it less likely that the technology will replace it. Lastly, Microsoft is a great dividend stock, having increased its payouts by almost 153% over the past decade. Microsoft's shares may be down, but that's a great opportunity to buy the stock on the dip and hold it for a while.

2. Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms' shares fell off a cliff following its latest quarterly update. Investors weren't too happy about the company's daily active users. While it grew 4% year over year to 3.56 billion, it actually declined slightly compared to the fourth quarter. Further, just like Microsoft, Meta Platforms continues to invest heavily to support its AI ambitions. And despite what the company's post-earnings dip might suggest, it is paying off. Meta Platforms' first-quarter revenue grew by 33% year over year to $56.3 billion.

The company is performing well, partly thanks to AI, which is boosting engagement on its platforms through recommendation algorithms. The company has also deployed AI to help businesses get more bang for each advertising buck.

It's also worth pointing out that the company's quarter-over-quarter decline in active users was due to issues in Iran and Russia. My view is that the company will also rebound in that department. And with a deep ecosystem and better monetization capabilities thanks to AI, Meta Platforms could maintain healthy revenue and earnings growth over the next few years, even as it continues to invest tens of billions to sustain its AI ambitions. Lastly, Meta Platforms trades at just 20.5x forward earnings, which is below the average of 22.2x for communication services stocks.

At current levels, Meta's shares look like a bargain. Buying the stock today and holding onto it through 2036 could be a brilliant move.

Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Meta Platforms and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.