The upcoming economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may actually speed up some long-term technological trends. These include teleworking, e-commerce, and automation. At the center of all these is artificial intelligence, in which machines process vast data sets, learning to "react" to incoming information without human intervention.
Thus, the terrible downturn may have opened up long-term opportunities in stocks at the center of future AI applications. Nevertheless, in uncertain times like these, it's best to look at companies with best-in-class profitability, safe business models, and solid balance sheets. The following three AI-oriented companies all fit that bill.
These three AI stocks look like good values at these prices. Image source: Getty Images.