AI helps the world’s largest tech companies break the $10 trillion market cap ceiling: Nvidia replaces Facebook as the new kid on the block, while Microsoft supplants Apple at the helm
The valuations of the world’s largest tech giants have soared by more than $1 trillion, thanks in part to investments and advances in generative AI – which are collectively worth more than $10 trillion.
But it’s not good news for everyone, as Meta, which has only just turned to AI after failing its Metaverse bet, has yet to reach $1 trillion – specifically $937.85 billion at the time of writing.
The companies – including Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon and Nvidia – are all worth more than $1 trillion, according to the latest market cap figures from Google Finance, which was incredibly rare before Apple became the first Silicon Valley giant to to break this barrier in 2018.
AI boom
Apple also became the world’s first US company worth $2 trillionand that of the country first $3 trillion company, but is now valued at $2.81 trillion – just shy of Microsoft. While it hasn’t announced any concrete AI integrations yet, Apple has long been rumored to be working on its flavor of generative AI before incorporating it into its products later this year.
The most valuable tech giant right now is Microsoft, which is valued at $2.88 trillion, thanks in part to its massive investments in OpenAI and the integration of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 into a wide range of products and services, from the Windows 11 operating system to the MS Paint app.
Google, worth $1.77 trillion, also recently launched its Gemini AI series, which includes an on-device version known as Gemini Nano that will appear in the Pixel 8 Pro phone. This follows its clumsy first foray into AI with Google Bard.
In addition to its dominance in many areas, Amazon owes its $1.56 valuation in part to the integration of generative AI into its services, with an emphasis on advertising and e-commerce.
We all know how crucial Nvidia has been to the latest explosion of interest in generative AI. Its components – including the H200 and H100 – are among the best graphics cards and are highly coveted by companies around the world trying to get in on the action. This fuels the $1.38 trillion valuation.
As for Meta, for going all-in on the metaverse while the rest of the tech industry focused on generative AI, it’s only recently ventured into this realm – ending twenty different tests on how the technology can improve its services. It’s better late than never, but it remains to be seen whether these tools and services can boost the company’s valuation to the levels enjoyed by its contemporaries.