Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks have represented a sort of gold rush for investors in recent years. The technology is seen as a game-changing one, and as a result, companies involved in it may benefit from soaring earnings in the coming years -- some have already started delivering impressive growth. Investors, aiming to get in on this exciting story, have piled into AI players and, in many cases, seen the value of their investments take off.
Recently, though, some analysts and investors have questioned how far this growth may go -- and this led to a pullback in AI stocks. The risk is that some stocks may be overvalued and are ripe for declines.
If you're an investor who wants to benefit from the AI revolution but is worried about the formation of an AI bubble, my best advice is this: Choose AI stocks that already are clear winners and have the financial strength to withstand some of the downs that come with the ups. With these players, you have a good chance of winning over the long term. And importantly, make this AI bet part of a well-diversified portfolio of quality stocks.
Considering this, here are my top three low-risk AI stocks to buy for 2026.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Nvidia
Nvidia (NVDA 1.28%) is the tried and true AI powerhouse. The company is the leading designer of AI chips and has built strong relationships with the biggest AI customers around -- from Amazon (AMZN 1.38%) to Meta Platforms. These customers aim for success in the AI market, so they want the very best tools -- as long as Nvidia continues to prioritize innovation, it should continue to be their key partner.
What I like about Nvidia is that its vast array of AI products and services makes it a go-to source for AI customers down the entire AI road. For example, you could go to Nvidia for chips for the training and inferencing of models -- or if you're building AI robots or autonomous cars, you can turn to Nvidia for specially built platforms for those projects.
NASDAQ: NVDA
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The company also continues to expand its reach into new areas, for example, recently partnering with Nokia on AI for telecom. And Nvidia's strong earnings and cash level support its ambitions.
All of this makes it a company that's very likely to remain an AI winner over the long run.
2. Amazon
Amazon already is an AI success story because it's using AI to make its e-commerce operations more efficient, and the company also sells AI products and services through its cloud business, Amazon Web Services (AWS). In fact, AWS recently reported an annual revenue run rate of more than $132 billion thanks to its focus on AI.
But it's important to note that Amazon doesn't depend on AI for earnings growth. The company's e-commerce operations generate billions of dollars in revenue due to sales of groceries, essentials, and mass merchandise. And AWS offers customers a broad range of services, including AI products, but well beyond those, too.
NASDAQ: AMZN
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The e-commerce and cloud units have generated solid growth for Amazon over time, so when you invest in this tech giant, you're getting a strong, well-established business.
Amazon today trades for 31x forward earnings estimates, a very reasonable price for a company that offers a well-diversified business as well as potential for AI-driven growth.
3. Apple
Apple (AAPL 1.99%) has often been considered a late entrant to the AI story, as the company took its time developing an AI platform. It only started rolling out Apple Intelligence across its devices last year, and the development of these AI features continues.
Because of this, Apple may be in the early days of its AI growth story, meaning there's potential for more growth ahead.
NASDAQ: AAPL
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On top of this, Apple is yet another well-established tech giant with an impressive growth track record. The company sells the iconic iPhone, a product that has ensured Apple's brand moat, or competitive advantage. Fans of the iPhone won't easily switch to another smartphone; instead, they loyally and eagerly wait for the next update from Apple.
I also like the idea that Apple's position as a smartphone leader offers it the key to recurring revenue, and that's through selling services to users of its devices. The company's services revenue has taken off, reaching records quarter after quarter.
All of this makes Apple a fantastic low-risk AI player to buy for 2026 and hold onto for the long term.
