According to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, artificial intelligence models capable of performing at human levels may emerge as early as 2026. That is, if current advancements hold steady. Amodei compares the path to general artificial intelligence with educational stages. Currently, he notes that we’re starting to get to PhD level, while last year we were at the undergraduate level.

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“If you just eyeball the rate at which these capabilities are increasing, it does make you think that we’ll get there by 2026 or 2027”.

– Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei

He also acknowledged that possible setbacks may exist, such as data shortages, limitations in scaling AI clusters, and potential geopolitical issues impacting microchip supply chains. Previously, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made a similar claim, noting that artificial general intelligence can be achieved in five years with the current hardware. According to Altman, the benchmark would pose “surprisingly little” change to society.

Latest Developments in AI

How fast we can get to AGI is a debate of its own. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the latest developments and innovations shaping the world of artificial intelligence. In its first, a robot has been trained by watching videos of seasoned surgeons, performing the same surgical procedures skillfully as human doctors. The findings, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, were illuminated at the Conference on Robot Learning in Munich, a top event for robotics and machine learning.

“It’s really magical to have this model and all we do is feed it camera input and it can predict the robotic movements needed for surgery. We believe this marks a significant step forward toward a new frontier in medical robotics.”

– Senior author Axel Krieger, an assistant professor in JHU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

In other news, CNBC’s David Faber reports that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is raising up to $6 billion at a $50 billion valuation. Musk’s AI startup seeks to “understand the true nature of the universe. Last year, xAI released a chatbot named Grok, modeled after “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The chatbot aims to directly compete with companies including ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

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15. Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:DSP)

Market Capitalization: $1.02 billion

Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:DSP) is an advertising technology company. It is a leader in AI-powered programmatic advertising driving innovation in digital marketing.

On November 13, JMP Securities analyst Andrew Boone raised the firm’s price target on Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:DSP) to $17 from $12 and kept an “Outperform” rating on the shares. According to the analyst, the company has been performing well and gaining a larger share of mid-market budgets. Additionally, its improved product offerings are helping it engage with bigger brands. The firm also believes that ViantAI, its AI-product suite, is a key catalyst for share gains in 2025. AI Bidding has already begun contributing to results, its AI media planning tool is soon going to roll out, and the company also plans to launch measurement and analysis, as well as autonomous optimization tools in 2025.

14. SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN)

Market Capitalization: $2.28 billion

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) is a voice artificial intelligence company offering voice AI solutions to businesses. It boasts that more than 200 enterprise brands employ its AI agents across a growing number of verticals.

On November 13, Ladenburg downgraded SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) to “Neutral” from Buy with a price target of $7. The company reported solid Q3 results, meeting expectations. Moreover, its acquisition of Amelia has helped the company move into new verticals and large enterprises. Even though the firm continues to view voice as a key early application for AI systems, the rating has moved to neutral because of short-term losses from the Amelia acquisition and rapid share price appreciation.

“Our downgrade is a function of a rapid share price gain, coupled with a model that shows significantly higher losses than our previous expectations. That said, we expect the company will grow into this valuation, and emerge stronger over time”.

– Mattson said in a client note.

13. Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN)

Market Capitalization: $2.85 billion

Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN) is a technology company that offers cloud software solutions for contact centers. It utilizes AI and machine learning to improve customer interactions, increase agent productivity, and optimize operational efficiency.

On November 12, Wells Fargo downgraded Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN) to “Equal-Weight” from Overweight with a price target of $40, down from $55. The downgrade comes from a perceived lack of innovation. The firm states that even though its Intelligent Virtual Agent, a cloud-based, AI-powered application, is seen as an offset, Five9’s technology is seemingly behind in newer GenAI agents. Its traction beyond voice is also sparse, to date.

12. Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX)

Market Capitalization: $4.80 billion

Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX) enables organizations of various sizes to manage and share their content from anywhere on any device. The cloud-based content services platform leverages artificial intelligence through its Box AI platform, positioning itself as a key player in the “intelligent content management” space.

On November 12, the leading Intelligent Content Management (ICM) platform Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX), announced a partnership with Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company. The collaboration, integrating Box’s ICM platform and Slalom’s business transformation expertise, will enable the companies to develop solutions and accelerators that will help their customers quickly and effectively deploy AI-powered content solutions. Box and Slalom shared the news of their partnership at BoxWorks, the Box annual global user conference.

“Content is the foundation of almost every business process, and AI is transforming how organizations interact with and derive value from their content. Box enables customers to work smarter and unlock new levels of productivity by applying powerful generative AI to enterprise content. By partnering with Slalom, we’re providing enterprises with the tools and expertise they need to leverage AI to its fullest potential, enabling them to work smarter, move faster, and stay secure.”

– Olivia Nottebohm, Chief Operating Officer of Box.

11. Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE)

Market Capitalization: $4.81 billion

Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) is a green energy company that designs, manufactures, sells, and installs solid-oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation. The company is a key player in meeting the rising energy demands of AI data centers.

On November 15, Morgan Stanley kept an “Overweight” rating on Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) with a $20 price target. The company recently announced an agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) to supply up to 1 GW of its solid oxide fuel cells. The initial order of 100MW will allow Bloom’s fuel cells to meet the immediate power of AI data centers. According to Morgan Stanley, the announcement authenticates the thesis that fuel cells are going to have a critical role to play in solving time-to-power constraints, expecting a strong earnings contribution margin from these incremental volumes.

10. Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW)

Market Capitalization: $42.2 billion

Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) is an artificial intelligence data cloud company. It integrates AI and machine-learning capabilities into its platform allowing customers to create generative AI applications and build large language models.

On November 15, Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne maintained a “Buy” rating on Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) and set a price target of $170.00. The buy rating comes from a slight quarter-over-quarter improvement in sentiment. Moreover, survey results conducted with decision-makers at 15 large partners also suggest the company’s product growth may accelerate in 2025, with a possible increase in pace. The analyst notes speeding up in case its artificial intelligence (AI) features help boost data usage.

9. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT)

Market Capitalization: $45.37 billion

Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is a global leader in designing, building, and servicing critical infrastructure. Its offerings, such as its cooling and power systems, are vital to ensure that data centers run smoothly.

On November 11, Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) and Elea Data Centers, a leading provider of sustainable digital infrastructure and colocation services in Brazil, announced a milestone agreement helping the latter boost its AI growth. The agreement will require Vertiv to deliver hundreds of cooling distribution units (CDUs) that support liquid cooling for AI applications in Elea’s São Paulo sites. Being Elea’s US$300M first-phase investment in their AI data center project, the liquid cooling delivery positions Latin America to meet the growing demands of hyperscale AI applications.

8. Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Market Capitalization: $48.84

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is a retail electricity and power generation company. This AI play is riding on its nuclear capacity to power energy-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) processes.

On November 15, JP Morgan revealed that Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is one of its top picks for 2025. Analyst Jeremy Tonet put an “Overweight” (i.e. Buy) rating on the stock with a $178 price target, citing abundant potential for growth in the company on the back of its huge production capacity.

“Top pick VST offers the optimal mix of all angles, in our view. We see very attractive upside from current levels, with a healthy step up in a blue sky scenario. In addition to nuclear upside, we see meaningful gas power leverage for VST, particularly as islanded gas in West TX (with the gas bottleneck wall moving east across TX) and Appalachia should support spark spreads, particularly given Permian electrification demand growth and a great call on gas due to PJM tightening.”

7. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW)

Market Capitalization: $126.65 billion

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) is a global cybersecurity company offering security. Its security solutions are powered by Precision AI, Palo Alto Networks’ proprietary AI system, for detecting and mediating cybersecurity threats.

On November 15, Baird raised the firm’s price target on Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) to $425 from $385 and kept an “Outperform” rating on the shares. The firm expects solid profits and good revenue growth from the company, with investors paying attention to FCF and RPO (Remaining Performance Obligations) guidance. Investors will be paying attention given that the company has shifted from billings to RPOs and ARRs (Annual Recurring Revenue), accelerating consolidation on its unified AI-powered cybersecurity platform.

6. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM)

Market Capitalization: $189.54

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is a multinational technology company and a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise.

On November 13, Evercore ISI rated International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) at “Outperform” with a price target of $240. According to the analyst, the tech company can surpass growth estimates due to enterprise AI tailwinds, momentum in software and recovery in consulting. Moreover, a less restrictive regulatory environment could increase deal activity for mergers and acquisitions.

5. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Market Capitalization: $139.23 billion

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is a leader in materials engineering solutions engaged in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. This key AI player provides the equipment needed to produce chips that power everything from personal computers to smartphones.

On November 15, TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar maintained a “Buy” rating on Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT), reducing the price target to $230.00. The buy rating comes from strong operational enhancements and a favorable pricing strategy for Applied Materials. The company has a robust position in the market, with market leadership in Gate All Around (GAA) technology and high-speed memory. In particular, it possesses a top 25% share in DRAM and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). Moreover, although there is some quarterly revenue volatility expected, strong spending on Integrated Circuit and Packaging Systems (ICAPS), especially from China, is expected to boost growth.

4. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Market Capitalization: $211.97 billion

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is a Chinese multinational conglomerate operating across e-commerce, cloud computing, digital media, and financial technology (“fintech”).  The company leverages artificial intelligence in its e-commerce business, having recently launched more than a hundred new AI models as part of its AI push.

On November 15, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $2.15 a share for the quarter ending September 30. However, total revenue fell short of expectations. According to FactSet, the company reported adjusted earnings of 15.06 yuan ($2.15) per American-listed share, with sales totaling 236.5 billion yuan ($33.7 billion). Wall Street analysts had forecast adjusted earnings of 14.82 yuan per share on revenues of 239.5 billion yuan. Alibaba’s falling sales imply businesses in China are facing challenges as customers remain cautious with their spending. Amidst these results, an AI boost to the company’s cloud business serves as positive news for the company. Alibaba’s cloud business saw a 7% increase in revenues, reaching 29.6 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) in the fiscal second quarter, compared to the same quarter last year.

“Growth in our Cloud business accelerated from prior quarters, with revenues from public cloud products growing in double digits and AI-related product revenue delivering triple-digit growth”.

– CEO Eddie Wu.

3. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)

Market Capitalization: $221.58 billion

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) engages in the provision of digital marketing and media solutions. It is a strong AI play with two prominent AI products namely Sensei and Firefly.

On November 12, Reuters reported that Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) has introduced software tools that allow customers to use artificial intelligence to create images based on its library of stock images, all while paying the original creators of those images. The company has been hurrying to add AI tools to its software amid competition from newer firms such as OpenAI. Through Adobe’s tools, customers start with a stock image from Adobe’s collection and then modify it with artificial intelligence to suit their needs. The creator of the original image is paid as though their unaltered image was used.

“A majority of people still have a blank canvas problem. Generative AI is not replacing stock (imagery). It’s not replacing creatives or contributors. It’s enhancing and giving them more potential opportunity to increase their earnings”.

– Matthew Smith, vice president at Adobe for strategy, design and emerging products.

2. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

Market Capitalization: $229.04 billion

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is a US technology company that provides information technology and networking services. It integrates AI-powered capabilities across its entire product and customer service portfolio.

On November 13, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) forecast quarterly revenue and profit surpassing Wall Street estimates, after posting strong first-quarter results. According to LSEG compiled data, the company projects its second-quarter revenue to range between $13.75 billion and $13.95 billion, surpassing the analyst consensus estimates of $13.73 billion. The guidance for adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter is between 89 and 91 cents, exceeding the estimate of 87 cents. This upbeat forecast is largely driven by the demand for its networking gear amid the AI boom. Companies have been increasing their investments in AI technologies that require significant computing power. In turn, it is leading to a surge in demand for data centers that rely on Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO).

1. Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM)

Market Capitalization: $310.95 billion

Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) is an American cloud-based CRM software company. This AI stock has become quite the rage after the launch of Agentforce, a suite of AI-powered autonomous agents.

On November 15, BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman raised the firm’s price target on Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) to $385 from $305 and kept an “Outperform” rating on the shares. According to the analyst, the recent channel feedback on Agentforce has been very positive, outperforming the company’s past solutions. The AI-powered platform is expected to have a modest revenue and growth impact in the second half of FY26. Additionally, the firm sees Salesforce generating a modest upside to the constant-currency CRPO growth guide heading into earnings.

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