Artificial intelligence will likely reshape the world in the coming decades. Autonomous machines will be able to hear, see, learn, think, and make decisions. This will drive productivity and innovation across virtually every industry, from retail and robotics to marketing and mobility.
From an investor's perspective, these technologies will also create incredible wealth. In fact, research from Ark Invest indicates that AI will add $30 trillion to global equity by 2037. If you're looking to cash in, consider buying Axon Enterprise (AXON 0.28%), Pinterest (PINS -0.52%), and UIPath (PATH 0.77%). Here's why.
Axon Enterprise
Axon is the world's leading supplier of conducted energy devices (i.e. TASER). But the company has also delved into software and sensors (e.g. body cameras), and it's building AI tools to augment its product ecosystem.
Image source: Getty Images.
For example, Axon Records is designed to simplify the reporting process. This AI-powered platform uses audio and video (captured by Axon body cameras) to automate the writing of incident reports. This boosts productivity for law enforcement, while providing much needed transparency for the public.
Likewise, later this year, Axon plans to launch Fleet 3, an AI-powered in-car camera system. Fleet 3 goes beyond conventional dash camera technology, allowing law enforcement to read eight times as many plates (across three lanes of traffic) at the same cost as traditional systems.
Notably, Yasser Ibrahim is the Axon executive leading these efforts. He previously headed machine learning and computer vision projects at Amazon and Microsoft, and his experience in the AI industry should be an asset in the coming years.
Here's the big picture: Axon is already a market leader in CEDs, body cameras, and law enforcement software -- last year, the company's revenue jumped 28% to $681 million. But management values the market at $27 billion, and Axon's AI-powered growth strategy should help it gain momentum in the years ahead. That's why investors should consider buying.
Pinterest is a unique social platform. It blends visual content and search functionality, using AI to personalize the user experience and deliver predictive content.
For example, when a user clicks an image, Pinterest also provides visually similar suggestions. And if the user zooms in on that image (e.g. to see the sunglasses worn by a model), Pinterest will find those sunglasses and provide shoppable links to the product, or something similar.
This creates an AI-powered network effect: The more a person interacts with Pinterest, the more personalized their experience becomes; and the more people that use Pinterest, the more patterns the platform identifies, which improves its predictive capabilities for everyone.
Image source: Pinterest.
Pinterest recently announced strong first-quarter results. Monthly active users reached 478 million, up 30% over the prior year. And revenue surged 78% to $485 million. Driving this growth was strong adoption by marketers. People come to Pinterest looking for inspiration, which makes it a great place for brands to reach potential customers.
Notably, Pinterest stock is down 25% from its 52-week high, and given its long-term potential in the digital ad market, now looks like a good time to pick up a few shares.
UIPath
UIPath specializes in robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence. Its platform helps clients build AI-powered software robots that learn from human behavior, enabling them to automate both simple and complex business processes.
Unlike traditional solutions, UIPath's platform engages all workers, from the average employee to the tech-savvy developer. This is particularly important, as a more inclusive approach drives greater efficiencies for clients.
To add, UIPath has also built an ecosystem of over 4,000 partners -- like Microsoft and Amazon -- to help drive the adoption of its software. These native integrations enhance time-to-value, supporting automation in products like Microsoft Office and Amazon Web Services.
Collectively, these advantages have made UIPath the RPA market leader. In fact, research firm Forrester recently recognized the company as having a better product, a stronger strategy, and a greater market presence than any rival.
In the first quarter, UIPath delivered revenue of $186 million, up 65%. And gross margin came in at 74%. While those numbers are solid, I believe UIPath can grow more quickly in the coming years. Management puts the company's market opportunity at $60 billion, and digital transformation should be a strong tailwind for this tech company.
