• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
FinanceAI

A.I. could boost earnings nearly 20% by replacing human jobs, Goldman says. These are the short- and long-term winners of the boom

Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 23, 2023, 5:34 PM ET
Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, Aug. 21, 2023.
Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, Aug. 21, 2023. ANGELA WEISS—AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Is A.I. set to revolutionize the global economy, ushering in an age of booming productivity and, by extension, surging stock prices? Or is it just another speculative bubble that will ultimately leave investors in the dust? That’s the debate on Wall Street at the moment—and there are leading voices in both camps. 

Recommended Video

David Trainer, founder and CEO of investment research firm New Constructs, told Fortune earlier this summer that he fears investors are getting ahead of themselves by betting on richly valued A.I.-linked equities. “We’re seeing just one fad after another. It’s FOMO, and more and more stocks are moving to ridiculous heights…Investors just have to be really careful,” he warned. 

But Goldman Sachs analysts, led by vice president of U.S. equity strategy Ryan Hammond, said they remain bullish on A.I. in a Monday research note.

“Our economists believe A.I. should make workers more productive, increasing corporate revenues. Alternatively, A.I. adoption could allow some companies to generate the same amount of revenues but with lower labor costs that would increase margins,” Hammond and his team wrote.

The analysts argued that although the timing of broad-scale A.I. adoption is still “highly uncertain,” the technology should have “a meaningful macro impact some time between 2025 and 2030” and begin boosting corporate earnings even before then.

For stock market investors, that means opportunity, so Hammond and his team highlighted key companies that are set to benefit from A.I. in the short- and long-term. Here’s how they broke it down.

The short-term winners: Chipmakers and data centers

First, in the short term, Goldman named three categories of A.I. winners: The so-called enablers, hyperscalers, and empowered users.

“Enablers” include key producers of the underlying hardware that allows A.I. to operate, such as semiconductors and related equipment. These are the “picks and shovels” of the A.I. “gold rush.” Goldman highlighted the semiconductor makers Nvidia and Marvell Technology, as well as Credo Technology Group, which provides electrical cables and other hardware for data centers, as their top “enabler” picks for investors.

Then there are the “hyperscalers.” These are big tech firms—including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon—whose cloud-computing divisions should benefit from the large-scale commercialization of A.I. Generative A.I. chatbots and related technologies rely heavily on cloud computing resources and infrastructure to train and operate.

Finally, there are the “empowered users”—technology companies that are already using A.I. to expand their product and service offerings. The list includes the social media giant Meta Platforms, which is using A.I. to improve targeted advertising and has multiple generative A.I. models of its own, and software provider Adobe, which has incorporated A.I. into Photoshop. The financial software firm Intuit as well as client relationship management (CRM) software giants Salesforce and ServiceNow also made the list.

Long-term: More output, smaller workforce

Over the long term, Goldman expects A.I. will not only boost worker productivity, but also allow some firms to slash their headcounts. These effects combined should reduce labor costs and increase revenues, lifting earnings. 

Hammond and his team didn’t put out a timeline for when they expect widespread adoption of A.I. to lift the corporate bottom line, but they did make a pretty optimistic forecast for when it does.

“Our framework implies earnings for the median Russell 1000 stock could be 19% greater than the baseline via widespread A.I. adoption and increased labor productivity,” they wrote, referencing the index that tracks the top 1,000 companies by market cap in the U.S.

Big companies seem to have bought into those predictions. Despite recent suggestions the A.I.-linked stock surge could be a bubble, corporations are betting big on the technology. From publicly traded telecom giants like AT&T to VC funds like Bessemer Venture Partners, billions have been spent this year alone on A.I. initiatives and investments. And even though the public hype over ChatGPT has calmed, corporate executives still have A.I. on their mind. 

Just look at the steady rise in references to the technology on corporate earnings calls. Even though there’s still a week remaining in August, mentions of the word “A.I.” are already at a monthly high.

For investors looking to get into long-term A.I. winners, Goldman recommended focusing on two key characteristics. The firms that will benefit most from A.I. have high labor costs relative to their revenue and can use A.I. to reduce a large portion of those costs. 

Typically, these are going to be companies in industries with a lot of white-collar workers, including the software, consumer staples, and professional services sectors, according to Goldman analysts.

Using this framework, Goldman produced a group of 50 companies they believe will be “long-term A.I. beneficiaries.” Here’s the full list:

About the Author
Will Daniel
By Will Daniel
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Current refi mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Mortgage rates today, July 2, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
hegseth
Startups & VentureVenture Capital
The defense tech boom has become a bubble—or it will be soon
By Allie GarfinkleJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Emily Blunt is worth $80 million and just pocketed $15 million for her latest film—but she once wanted to be a Spanish translator for the UN
SuccessCareers
Emily Blunt is worth $80 million and just pocketed $15 million for her latest film—but she once wanted to be a Spanish translator for the UN
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Trump’s 927-page disclosure is just a normal Tuesday for direct indexing and crypto wealth managers
InvestingDonald Trump
Trump’s 927-page disclosure is just a normal Tuesday for direct indexing and crypto wealth managers
By Catherina GioinoJuly 1, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
20 hours ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.