Artificial intelligence has been a mainstream idea for years, going back to the days of the Terminator movies, where humanity and machines waged war. But the recent popularity of ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, has Wall Street looking at technology in a new light. While ChatGPT and related technology could help some companies, it could hurt others.

Disruption is always lurking, and companies like Amazon (AMZN 3.43%), Meta Platforms (META 0.43%), and Fiverr International (FVRR 3.74%) should watch over their shoulders. Here is why these three companies could be vulnerable to the potential AI revolution.

Could OpenAI's popularity threaten AWS' growth?

Justin Pope (Amazon): OpenAI's ChatGPT has become a technology sensation. The chatbot recently hit 100 million unique users just two months after launch, making it the fastest-growing app in history. So, how does that impact Amazon? Amazon's cloud platform (AWS) is currently the world's market leader. The business segment is Amazon's cash cow, responsible for all of Amazon's operating profit in 2022.

Cloud platforms are essentially internet infrastructure. Instead of paying for and maintaining their computing systems and servers, enterprises can rent the resources as needed from cloud platforms like AWS. OpenAI's explosive popularity could make it a go-to for developers who integrate AI tools into future apps and businesses. The problem for Amazon is that cloud competitor Microsoft, which owns Azure, has partnered with and invested heavily in OpenAI.

An essential detail of the Microsoft-OpenAI deal is that Azure will be the exclusive cloud provider for all of OpenAI's research, products, and API service workloads. In other words, Azure could benefit from a broad exposure to anything OpenAI touches moving forward. Amazon's earnings growth could take a hit if OpenAI becomes a factor in developers choosing Azure over AWS as their cloud platform.

Amazon has some AI capabilities within AWS, but technology can often produce "winner takes most" scenarios, so ChatGPT's record-setting growth should be taken very seriously. Although AWS is likely to continue growing from the big-picture growth opportunities within the cloud space, investors should watch for changes in market share between Amazon with 34% and Microsoft with 21%. Lost share means less operating income for Amazon, which relies heavily on AWS for its bottom line.

The artificial intelligence stock that has left investors smarting

Will Healy (Meta Platforms): At least once per month, about 3.7 billion people used a site owned by Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter of 2022. While that is an accomplishment most any company would envy, it also amounts to 47% of the world's population. Between people who avoid social media and those who cannot afford the technology to get on a platform, the company likely has few new potential users it can pursue.

To that end, Meta has turned to an AI-driven digital space called the metaverse to stoke growth. Indeed, its Meta AI has reported accomplishments in the field ranging from predicting the spread of COVID-19 to mimicking human negotiation skills with Cicero. Such successes can likely make Meta a force in artificial intelligence.

Unfortunately, investors turned on Meta's strategy, as revenue and profits fell right as research and development costs skyrocketed. So dramatic was the drop that a stock that traded as high as $384 per share in August 2021 fell below $90 per share within 14 months.

Like many stocks, Meta recovered, and it has now doubled from the October low. And by historical standards, its current 21 P/E ratio may seem inexpensive for this stock, especially considering that the slumping digital ad market should make an eventual recovery.

Additionally, its apps drove $114 billion in revenue in 2022. Given the $2 billion in revenue for Reality Labs, its virtual reality arm, investors could easily dismiss the segment's 5% revenue decline.

Not surprisingly, CEO Mark Zuckerburg doesn't want to talk about the metaverse anymore. But while that gave investors some temporary relief, it could also mean that app-driven revenue will level off soon. If Reality Labs fails to drive growth, investors may no longer perceive the 21 P/E ratio as inexpensive.

Hence, the failure of its AI-driven metaverse offering likely makes Meta the Coca-Cola or McDonald's of the tech industry. In other words, it is a worldwide company that lacks new markets where it can drive growth. Unless and until Meta can effectively leverage its technology, its stock could continue to disappoint growth investors.

ChatGPT makes me bearish on this company's prospects 

Jake Lerch (Fiverr International): There's no doubt about it -- the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution will eliminate some jobs. After all, there are many examples throughout history of new technology making once-lucrative jobs obsolete. I'm looking at you, Mr. Telegraphist.

So, as new language tools like ChatGPT grow in popularity, it's natural to assume some jobs will be threatened. Specifically, professions that rely on expert language skills (e.g., writers, proofreaders, editors) might find themselves in the crosshairs. Similarly, companies that profit by connecting freelancers with employers could feel the pinch. 

Take Fiverr International, a web-based platform that connects freelancers to buyers. While it's true that many of Fiverr's freelance positions aren't easily threatened by AI right now, I have two concerns for the company -- one short term, and one long term. 

First, the immediate concern I have for Fiverr is a reputational risk. Suppose even one freelancer on the platform is covertly using ChatGPT to complete jobs. In that case, Fiverr risks alienating its buyers who assume they are paying for human-created content.

Second, over the longer term, Fiverr's business model may be threatened. After all, if ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots continue to improve, buyers may have no problem paying for AI-generated content. And that content will likely be cheaper -- and much faster to produce -- than the human-made alternative.

At any rate, Fiverr's current fundamentals remain mixed at best. The company is unprofitable, with an operating margin of -15.1%. Meanwhile, quarterly revenue growth has slowed to 11% -- far below its peak of 100% achieved in 2021.

Undoubtedly, the rise of AI will create winners and losers, and it's quite possible Fiverr might be one of the losers.