5 Best AI Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next Decade: Your 2035 Investment Roadmap

The artificial intelligence market is on track for explosive growth, projected to balloon from approximately $270 billion today to over $5.2 trillion within the next ten years. That’s not just growth—it’s a fundamental reshaping of the investment landscape. While many breakthrough AI companies may still be private or undiscovered, several publicly traded giants are already positioning themselves at the center of this revolution.

Rather than chase the next moonshot startup, savvy investors can secure exposure to proven winners that are building the actual infrastructure powering AI. Here are five best stocks to buy and hold through 2035 and beyond, each offering unique angles into this transformative market.

Nvidia: The GPU Backbone

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) remains the undisputed leader in accelerator chips that power AI model training across data centers worldwide. Think of the company as supplying the engine horsepower for the entire AI ecosystem.

The numbers tell the story: Nvidia commands roughly 92% of the GPU market share in data centers. A $500 billion order backlog signals the company’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. Its CUDA programming language has created a formidable competitive moat—hyperscalers have invested heavily in Nvidia infrastructure and face real friction costs if they consider switching amid this intensifying AI arms race.

Competition may emerge, but Nvidia’s entrenched ecosystem suggests it will remain the central player in AI infrastructure for years to come.

Alphabet: The All-in-One AI Play

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL, GOOG) operates as perhaps the most diversified AI exposure on the market. The search giant’s consumer products reach billions of users globally, spanning YouTube, Android, and Google’s core search ecosystem. Add Google Cloud to the mix, plus leadership in autonomous ride-hailing, and you get a company with multiple growth vectors.

But there’s more. Alphabet designed its own custom AI chip—the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)—and trained Gemini on it. The company has signaled willingness to sell these chips to other AI firms, potentially creating a new revenue stream. As an added bonus, Alphabet holds approximately 7% of SpaceX, offering an indirect stake in Starlink’s satellite internet ambitions.

For investors seeking comprehensive AI and tech exposure, Alphabet represents best stocks to buy if you want diversification across hardware, software, and services.

Microsoft: Stability Meets AI Upside

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) brings both stability and explosive upside potential. The company operates Azure, the world’s second-largest cloud services platform, positioned to capture surging AI-related compute demand. More strategically, Microsoft owns roughly 27% of OpenAI—the creator of ChatGPT—giving direct exposure to the leading consumer AI application without owning OpenAI shares outright.

The defensive case is equally compelling. Microsoft operates mature, high-margin software businesses anchored by Windows and Microsoft 365, generating consistent cash flows. The company has increased its dividend for 23 consecutive years, offering investors peace of mind alongside growth potential.

Azure’s expansion as enterprises funnel AI workloads through the cloud positions Microsoft as a structural beneficiary of this decade’s technology shift.

Amazon: Cloud Leader with Hidden AI Gems

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) combines leadership in cloud infrastructure with strategic bets on emerging AI companies. Amazon Web Services (AWS) operates the world’s largest cloud business, positioned to capture growing AI workload migration. Beyond cloud, Amazon maintains thriving e-commerce and digital advertising franchises with years of runway ahead.

The kicker: Amazon holds an $8 billion stake in Anthropic, OpenAI’s primary competitor. This partnership positions Amazon investors with indirect exposure to a major AI software challenger without the risk of owning Anthropic directly. For Amazon, AI is less about dependence and more about optionality—the company generates substantial profits from cloud and commerce alone.

Palantir Technologies: Early-Stage AI Software Winner

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) specializes in custom software development on proprietary platforms, with AI increasingly central to its value proposition. The company launched its AI-focused platform, AIP, in mid-2023, catalyzing accelerating growth in both government and corporate segments.

The challenge: Palantir trades at premium valuations that could limit near-term upside. The opportunity: with fewer than 1,000 customers today, the company possesses tremendous runway for customer acquisition over the next decade. Patient, long-term investors might consider building positions on weakness, averaging in over time rather than deploying capital all at once.

The Path Forward

The best stocks to buy and hold through 2035 aren’t necessarily the companies generating headlines today. They’re the proven winners already capturing market share, building competitive moats, and positioning themselves across multiple layers of the AI value chain. From infrastructure leaders like Nvidia to diversified giants like Alphabet and Microsoft, these five represent core holdings for investors betting on AI’s transformative impact across the next decade.