'AI' stays front-and-center on quarterly conference calls
Artificial intelligence remains a hot topic on earnings conference calls this quarter by Microsoft, Alphabet and others across Wall Street, even as investors look for more evidence their big bets on the emerging technology will pay off. The terms "AI" or "artificial intelligence" have been uttered on 38% of conference calls held by S&P 500 companies in January, a Reuters analysis of LSEG transcripts shows. That is up from 34% at the same point during the third- quarter reporting season, and it is in line with the second quarter , when discussion of AI spiked. Microsoft, Apple and Advanced Micro Devices late on Tuesday talked up how customers are lapping up their generative AI-powered products. But mounting costs of developing the cutting-edge features have irked investors, and the three stocks fell on Wednesday, with Alphabet tumbling as much as 7%. The ongoing prominence of AI on the conference calls reflects a surge in Wall Street heavy...