The surprising companies one firm thinks will benefit from the AI ‘tidal wave’

If you’re wondering how to trade the AI craze spurred by ChatGPT, researchers at Baird say they have you covered. “Companies in our list have advanced AI capabilities, and we believe will be beneficiaries of the ‘tidal wave’ of AI-powered applications,” Colin Sebastian, senior research analyst at Baird, and his team wrote in a note to investors. The list of 50 top ideas of public companies that are leading within AI and machine learning range from small to mega caps and fall within a variety of categories. Amazon (AMZN), Alibaba (BABA), Alphabet (GOOGL) (GOOG), and Pinterest (PINS) are the four giants listed under “Internet,” while Nvidia (NVDA) is the chosen play for “Storage and Semiconductors.” The more unusual approaches when it comes to investing in AI stem from the “Human Capital Technology and Solutions” category, which names stocks like ADP (ADP), Ceridian HCM Holding (CDAY), Paycom Software (PAYC), Paychex (PAYX), and Paylocity Holdings (PCTY). The list, compiled by senior research analyst Mark Marcon, includes the following highlights: Workday (WDAY) “WDAY has always been a leader in AI/ML [artificial intelligence/machine learning], being one of the first software companies to heavily emphasize and invest in it,” wrote Marcon. “During the last investor day, WDAY emphasized that ML is being incorporated into every element of the platform.” The analyst also highlights the human resource company’s relationships with Microsoft and Google who are both leaders in AI/ML. Automatic Data Processing (ADP) The payroll company began discussing its interest in artificial intelligence and machine learning several years ago as a way to leverage its data to add value to clients. “Data is one of the most important inputs for developing and maintaining a successful AI/ML program, and ADP and PAYX have the most data out of any payroll provider, paying a collective one in four private sector payrolls in the U.S,” wrote Marcon. Robert Half International (RHI) The staffing company already has the most robust AI/ML capabilities out of its public peers. “RHI has a proprietary database of over 30mn candidates, and RHI uses AI/ML to find the best matched candidates to open positions, materially improving recruiter productivity,” wrote Marcon. “Further opportunities include using AI/ML and chatbots for candidate and client outreach, potentially reducing both service and sales costs,” he added. Marcon added one negative note for all staffing and recruiting organizations: Some of the positions filled by these companies “at some point in the future could be automated away by AI/ML-enabled software.” “Many staffing companies are moving up the value chain to reduce their exposure to positions that can be displaced through automation,” wrote the analyst.