What Are the 2 Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy Right Now?

Investors love to follow the biggest trends altering our economy. In recent years, nothing has been more important than the notable rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Companies of all shapes and sizes are finding ways to use this technology to drive growth and cut costs. And investors want to figure out how to best position their portfolios for long-term gains.

The good news is that you don't have to search far and wide to find top AI stocks. These two trillion-dollar enterprises are worth considering for investment right now.

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Alphabet is an end-to-end AI juggernaut

The first stock that's a leader in the AI race is Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG). This pick might not come as a surprise, given that the company has long been a dominant force in the internet age. It's leaning on AI capabilities to strengthen its empire.

What makes Alphabet stand out is its presence across seemingly every area of AI. The company runs an AI research lab called DeepMind. It's developing chips known as tensor processing units. And with its Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Alphabet owns a booming cloud computing segment that rounds out its impressive position at the AI infrastructure layer.

Speaking of GCP, it's operating at a very high level. Revenue surged 48% year over year in the fourth quarter. CEO Sundar Pichai says the backlog is $240 billion.

Alphabet's various apps and platforms, among them Search, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, are all powered by AI. It also is using AI features to bolster creativity and monetization for its ad clients. Alphabet collected $295 billion in advertising revenue in 2026, so it must cater to these customers.

In 2026, Alphabet's capital expenditures (capex) are expected to total $170 billion at the midpoint. Representing an 87% increase from the year before, this is a clear sign of management's commitment to AI.

Meta Platforms leverages AI to boost engagement and ad capabilities

The next stock to consider is Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). It's also been at the forefront of the internet revolution, operating many popular social media platforms. Between Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, the business counted a mind-boggling 3.58 billion daily active users in Q4. That kind of adoption is unmatched. And it gives Meta powerful network effects.

Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI intent is clear. He wants to bring personal superintelligence to people all over the world.

Engagement is important to Meta Platforms. AI is helping to improve personalized content recommendations, which can push users to spend more time on the apps.

Because advertising sales represented 98% of the company's entire revenue base last year, Meta is also introducing AI-enabled ad enhancements. Zuckerberg's objective is for AI to automate the whole ad process for customers who provide a clear goal and budget.

Like Alphabet, Meta is sparing no expense. It paid to bring prime AI talent in-house last year. And capex was $72 billion in 2025 to expand computing capacity. Its capex projection for 2026 is between $115 billion and $135 billion.

These are two of the cheapest "Magnificent Seven" stocks

Investors will wonder why now is a great time to buy these businesses. Besides their strong financial performances, the valuations are inviting. This is a key factor that should always be incorporated into a thorough analysis.

Besides Microsoft, these two stocks are the cheapest of the prestigious "Magnificent Seven" club. Alphabet and Meta trade at price-to-earnings ratios of 28.1 and 28.4, respectively. Investors who buy these top AI stocks now are improving the quality of their portfolios.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.