AI Research

2 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy Right Now

Published

1 month ago

August 2, 2025

The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is creating a diverse selection of investment opportunities.
Alphabet is a well-known name in the AI space, but this popular tech stock still has a lot to offer.
Upstart has had a tough few years, but there are several green flags for this AI stock that bear watching.
10 stocks we like better than Alphabet ›

The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is upon us, and with that a nearly endless array of businesses joining the fray and investing in the rapidly evolving world of AI. However, it’s more important than ever to take the time to discern the wheat from the chaff so you can find quality companies that have the ability to stand the test of time in your portfolio.

There are opportunities to invest in the AI space for investors of virtually every experience level and zone of interest.

If you’re looking for no-brainer AI stocks to buy right now, and you have the appropriate risk-tolerance and investment horizon to put cash into growth stocks, here are two names to consider for your portfolio in the near term.

Image source: Getty Images.

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG), Google’s parent company, is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about names when it comes to investments in the AI space. The company is heavily investing in and integrating AI across its various products and services. The tech giant is actively focused on developing its own AI models, like Gemini, and using AI to enhance existing products like YouTube and the flagship Search business.

Alphabet is also building custom hardware like Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) to efficiently train and run AI models, and exploring new business opportunities with AI, in arenas ranging from self-driving cars (Waymo) to healthcare (Verily). The company is significantly increasing its investment in AI infrastructure, reflecting a strong commitment to the technology and its potential for the future growth of the business as it evolves in the next decade and beyond.

In the company’s recent Q2 earnings, management elevated its projected capital expenditures for 2025 from a previous mouth-watering figure of $75 billion, up to an even more stunning $85 billion. This increased spending is primarily directed toward servers, accelerated data center build-outs, and overall cloud computing infrastructure to support Alphabet’s AI endeavors.

Alphabet certainly has the robust financial profile to support its ambitious AI aims. The company’s Q2 2025 revenue of $96.4 billion represented a 14% increase year over year, while it remains highly profitable. Alphabet’s diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.31 were up more than 20% from the same period one year ago.

Google Services revenue grew by approximately 12%. Meanwhile, YouTube ad sales increased by 13%, and Google Cloud sales surged by 32%. Alphabet also has a substantial cash balance, reporting $95.1 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities at the end of its Q2.

Whether you’re a beginner AI investor or simply want to put cash to work in a storied tech business, Alphabet satisfies on both counts. In my view, this remains a company you can truly buy, hold, and add to again and again through the years.

Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is another way to capitalize on the potential of the AI revolution, albeit a company that is likely better suited to the more risk-tolerant of investors. Unlike the established business that underpins Alphabet, Upstart has been around for about 13 years and operates in a completely different industry, with entirely different growth levers.

Upstart’s business model is based on a two-sided platform that connects borrowers with lending partners, using AI-driven underwriting to assess credit risk and improve loan access and pricing. The company earns revenue through fees charged to lending partners for loan originations, servicing, and referrals. Upstart monetizes its platform by selling loans to institutional investors, while it carries a smaller portion of loans on its business balance sheet.

Upstart uses proprietary AI algorithms to analyze a wide range of data points, going beyond traditional credit scores to assess risk more accurately. This allows the company to approve more borrowers and offer lower interest rates, while potentially reducing losses for lenders. Given the predictive qualities of Upstart’s platform, the last few years and the difficult lending environment have presented some unique challenges for the business.

Upstart has approved fewer loans, fewer institutional investors have been inclined to purchase loans given the increased cost of doing so, and loan volume has remained down overall. However, that trend seems to be shifting. Upstart also continues to refine the accuracy of its platform while onboarding new bank and credit union partners. It recently expanded into home equity line of credit (HELOC) offerings, and across 1,000 loans in this product line in 2024, it experienced zero defaults.

Fast-forward to 2025. Upstart had a strong first quarter, with total revenue reaching $213 million, a 67% increase year-over-year. The company also saw a significant improvement in its loss from operations, which narrowed to $4.5 million from $67.5 million in the same quarter last year. Its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) margin reached 20% for the first time in three years.

Platform originations grew by 89% year over year, driven by model wins, improved borrower health, and more competitive capital, and personal loan originations jumped 83% from one year ago. Upstart’s HELOC product also saw strong growth, with originations increasing 52% quarter over quarter. In Q1, 92% of 241,000 funded loans were fully automated with no human intervention.

For investors with a healthy appetite for volatility and an understanding of the cyclical dynamics of the lending space, Upstart could be a worthy contender for a well-diversified portfolio.

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Rachel Warren has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Upstart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

2 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool

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AI Research

Minus-AI Launches the Coolest Video Ad Agent for the AI Era

Published

1 hour ago

September 1, 2025

Minus-AI

Singapore, Sept. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Minus-AI: The Coolest AI Video Ad Agent

https://youtu.be/HDyhkczn21k

Minus-AI, a Singapore-based AI-native startup, has officially launched its breakthrough platform that transforms brand information into cinematic, multi-shot video ads in just minutes. Positioned at the intersection of AI marketing, content marketing, AI video ads, and AI video generation, Minus-AI is redefining how businesses of every size create and scale their marketing.

The company proudly states its vision in one bold slogan: “Minus-AI is the coolest AI video ad agent.”

(Frame generated by Minus AI)

A Startup with Momentum

Founded in late 2024, Minus-AI immediately attracted over one million USD in angel investment from renowned figures in the global film and entertainment industry. This rapid validation underscores both the technical depth of the team and the enormous demand for next-generation AI marketing solutions.

Minus-AI’s co-founders bring complementary expertise:

Dr. Luo, who previously served as Senior Principal Scientist at Autodesk Research, brings expertise in reinforcement learning and AI-driven creativity. His collaborations with creatives have been featured at various international venues. With Minus AI, he set out on a mission to build tools that harness the power of AI to enhance creative processes.

Ms. Cai, a graduate of New York University (NYU), was the founder of one of the earliest VR education startups in China, which quickly achieved profitability. With a background bridging creative technology and business execution, she now leads product and commercialization at Minus-AI.

Together, they represent the fusion of advanced AI research and creative entrepreneurship.

The Meaning of “Minus-AI”

As Dr. Luo explains, the name Minus-AI carries a philosophy:

“Minus-AI stands for reducing meaningless labor and leaving time for what truly matters. The dash in Minus-AI is also a minus sign — cutting away the unnecessary.”

This philosophy reflects the company’s mission: to simplify the complexity of content marketing, giving businesses a direct path from idea to finished ad, without wasted effort.

(Minus-AI logo design)

Five Core Advantages of Minus-AI

1. Trendy Ideas, Done for You

Most businesses struggle to keep up with fast-moving social media trends. Minus-AI solves this by embedding hotspots and viral formats directly into its system. From concept to creative format, the platform delivers fresh ideas already tailored to your product and the cultural moment.

2. One-Page, Full-Cycle Auto Creative Flow

Traditional workflows are fragmented: drafting prompts, generating images, moving to a video model, rewriting prompts, editing in another tool. Minus-AI eliminates this friction.
On one single page, users go from idea → script → frames → dynamic video shots → post-production, in a seamless flow. Everything is editable, but nothing requires starting from scratch.

3. Compare Models by Shot, Instantly

Different AI models have different strengths — but testing them usually means tool-hopping. Minus-AI integrates multiple leading image and video models, letting users generate the same shot across models side by side, in one click. This creates clarity, speed, and higher-quality outputs.

4. Auto Magic Post-Production

Post-production is often the bottleneck. Non-professionals lack editing skills, while professionals spend hours fine-tuning. Minus-AI automates this step with captions, voiceover, background music, sound effects, and editing cuts, delivering a ready-to-publish ad instantly.

5. Two Modes: One-Click or Easy Edits

Businesses want both speed and control. Minus-AI generates a complete draft — script, frames, and video — in one click. If users want changes, they can edit directly on the draft without rebuilding from zero. One-click simplicity for beginners; flexible precision for pros.

(An illustration of Minus-AI Ads System)

Why the Market Needs Minus-AI

The Problem with Traditional Advertising

Marketing today faces multiple crises:

1. High Costs, High Risks – Producing a traditional commercial or polished brand video requires hiring directors, production crews, editors, and post-production teams. Budgets easily run into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. For small and mid-sized businesses, this is unaffordable. For large brands, it is risky — a single misaligned campaign can burn through millions with little return.
2. Slow Cycles, Missed Opportunities – Advertising has historically been director-driven and production-heavy. Creating one TV commercial or branded film takes weeks or even months. By the time the ad is released, the cultural moment or trending format may already be gone, leaving marketers unable to capitalize on real-time opportunities.
3. Uncertain Feedback Loops – Traditional marketing feedback is delayed. Brands spend big upfront, only to learn weeks later whether audiences resonate with the message. If the campaign fails, the money is lost and there is no quick way to adapt.
4. Inequality of Access – Big brands with deep pockets dominate high-quality video advertising. Small businesses, creators, and startups often rely on low-quality DIY tools or static visuals, making it difficult to compete on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube where video is king.

The AI Era of Marketing

Minus-AI introduces a new model of AI video generation for marketing that solves these problems directly:

· Rapid Multi-Variant Production – Instead of betting on one expensive ad, brands can instantly produce multiple tailored short ads for different target audiences.
· Horse-Race Mechanism – Companies can quickly test variations in the market, then double down on the winners with ad spend, ensuring budget flows to what actually works.
· Real-Time Agility – Marketers no longer wait weeks for feedback. In the age of social media virality, brands can respond instantly, matching the pace of culture.
· Creative Democratization – From small local shops to global enterprises, Minus-AI makes cinematic-quality video advertising available with one click. No massive crews, no complex tools, no wasted effort.

(Frame generated by Minus-AI)

Democratizing Video Advertising

This transformation is not just about speed — it’s about accessibility and fairness.

· What used to be exclusive to big-budget agencies is now open to small businesses, independent creators, and startups.
· With Minus-AI, a local bakery, a personal trainer, or a boutique retailer can have the same cinematic ad quality as global corporations.
· This is a shift in power: marketing no longer belongs only to the few with resources.

Minus-AI represents a technical equalizer for the new era of advertising. It enables more voices, more stories, and more brands to compete on equal footing in the attention economy.

Real-World Applications

Minus-AI is already being adopted by:

· E-commerce businesses looking for product showcase videos
· Restaurants and cafes needing local buzz
· Real estate agents promoting listings with cinematic walkthroughs
· Marketing agencies seeking scalable ad production

In each case, Minus-AI reduces both cost and time, while boosting creative output.

See Minus-AI in Action

Watch the one-click demo video to experience how a simple product input transforms into a multi-shot, social-media-ready video ad in just five minutes: www.minus-ai.com

Conclusion: The Future of Marketing

Minus-AI is more than just another AI tool — it is a shift in the philosophy of marketing. By removing wasted effort and empowering creativity at scale, Minus-AI enables businesses to keep pace with culture, test ideas faster, and achieve better ROI.

The company sums up its mission in one line:
“Minus-AI is the coolest video ad agent. This is the marketing of the AI era.”

For more information and to get your first ad free, visit: www.minus-ai.com

(Frame generated by Minus-AI)

CONTACT: Linda Cai Minus AI PTE. LTD. contact (at) minus-ai.com

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AI Research

Clanker! This slur against robots is all over the internet – but is it offensive? | Artificial intelligence (AI)

Published

3 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Guardian staff reporter

Name: Clanker.

Age: 20 years old.

Appearance: Everywhere, but mostly on social media.

It sounds a bit insulting. It is, in fact, a slur.

What kind of slur? A slur against robots.

Because they’re metal? While it’s sometimes used to denigrate actual robots – including delivery bots and self-driving cars – it’s increasingly used to insult AI chatbots and platforms such as ChatGPT.

I’m new to this – why would I want to insult AI? For making up information, peddling outright falsehoods, generating “slop” (lame or obviously fake content) or simply not being human enough.

Does the AI care that you’re insulting it? That’s a complex and hotly debated philosophical question, to which the answer is “no”.

Then why bother? People are taking out their frustrations on a technology that is becoming pervasive, intrusive and may well threaten their future employment.

Clankers, coming over here, taking our jobs! That’s the idea.

Where did this slur originate? First used to refer pejoratively to battle androids in a Star Wars game in 2005, clanker was later popularised in the Clone Wars TV series. From there, it progressed to Reddit, memes and TikTok.

And is it really the best we can do, insult-wise? Popular culture has spawned other anti-robot slurs – there’s “toaster” from Battlestar Galactica, and “skin-job” from Blade Runner – but “clanker” seems to have won out for now.

It seems like a stupid waste of time, but I guess it’s harmless enough. You say that, but many suggest using “clanker” could help to normalise actual bigotry.

Oh, come on now. Popular memes and spoof videos tend to treat “clanker” as being directly analogous to a racial slur – suggesting a future where we all harass robots as if they were an oppressed minority.

So what? They’re just clankers. “Naturally, when we trend in that direction, it does play into those tropes of how people have treated marginalised communities before,” says linguist Adam Aleksic.

I’m not anti-robot; I just wouldn’t want my daughter to marry one. Can you hear how that sounds?

I have a feeling we’re going to be very embarrassed about all this in 10 years. Probably. Some people argue that, by insulting AI, we’re crediting it with a level of humanity it doesn’t warrant.

That would certainly be my assessment. However, the “Roko’s basilisk” thought experiment posits that a future artificial superintelligence might punish all those who failed to help it flourish in the first place.

I guess calling it a clanker would count. We may end up apologising to our robot overlords for past hate crimes.

Or perhaps they’ll see the funny side of all this? Assuming the clankers develop a sense of humour some day.

Do say: “The impulse to coin this slur says more about our anxieties than it does about the technology itself.”

Don’t say: “Some of my best friends are clankers.”

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AI Research

Most ninth-graders use AI: survey

Published

3 hours ago

September 1, 2025

The Editors

By Rachel Lin and Lery Hiciano / Staff reporter, with staff writer

About 69 percent of ninth-graders use artificial intelligence (AI), most commonly for homework, creating images or videos, and chatting, a survey found yesterday.

The poll was conducted by the National Academy of Educational Research (NAER) and Academia Sinica as part of the Taiwan Assessment of Student Achievement Longitudinal Study.

Asked about AI, 94.2 percent of the students knew what generative AI was, although 31 percent said that they had never used it, the survey showed.

Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times

Among those who said that they used generative AI, 6.8 percent used it daily, 3.9 percent used it five to six times per week, 12.2 percent three to four times per week and 46 percent used it once or twice a week, the survey found.

About 53.2 percent of ninth-graders said that teachers had taught them how to use generative AI, while 46.8 percent said their teachers did not, suggesting that the adoption rate of the technology could continue to improve.

Students said they used AI for homework, translation, research and content creation, indicating that the technology has already become a part of their studies and daily habits across academic and creative interests.

This could reflect how younger, digitally native groups are more amenable to new technologies, and points to a growing trend of using AI in a balanced way, the NAER said.

The gap between those who are aware of AI and those who use it suggests that most are not becoming advanced or heavy users, it said.

As about half of schools are teaching students how to use AI, it suggests that teachers recognize how important the technology is becoming, the NAER said, adding that the wide array of ways in which students use AI tools also shows its wide-ranging capability and potential.

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