Thinking of investing in AI? Kevin O'Leary says these 2 opportunities stand out
He'd focus on two businesses he believes are poised to benefit as artificial intelligence becomes mainstream: helping small businesses adopt AI and building the infrastructure that powers it.
- Jul 9, 2026,
- Updated Jul 9, 2026 8:00 AM IST
If investor and Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary were starting from scratch at 25 today, he says he wouldn't chase the next AI chatbot. Instead, he'd focus on two businesses he believes are poised to benefit as artificial intelligence becomes mainstream: helping small businesses adopt AI and building the infrastructure that powers it.
"I'd be all over AI" O'Leary said, outlining what he sees as the biggest wealth-creation opportunities in the technology's next phase.
The first, according to him, is helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. While millions of businesses want to use AI to improve productivity and cut costs, many lack the expertise to deploy the technology effectively.
"Help small businesses implement AI," he said, arguing that execution—not just advice—is where the biggest opportunity lies. O'Leary believes entrepreneurs who can integrate AI into workflows and business processes will be in high demand as adoption accelerates.
His second bet is on the infrastructure behind AI.
"Data centres are the real estate of AI," he said, pointing to the growing need for computing power as AI models become larger and more widely used. As demand for AI services rises, so does the need for the data centres that house the hardware required to run them.
O'Leary's views also extend to the future of consulting. He argues that AI is already taking over many routine advisory tasks once handled by consultants.
"AI is replacing consultants," he said, noting that companies increasingly use AI for market research, strategic analysis and planning before turning to outside advisors.
He has also been outspoken about his hiring preferences, saying he throws away résumés from candidates who've spent more than seven years in consulting, believing long consulting careers often produce people who analyse businesses rather than build them.
Rather than suggesting consulting will disappear, O'Leary's comments point to a broader shift: as AI automates knowledge work, the greatest opportunities may lie in implementing the technology and building the infrastructure that enables it, rather than simply advising companies on what they should do.
If investor and Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary were starting from scratch at 25 today, he says he wouldn't chase the next AI chatbot. Instead, he'd focus on two businesses he believes are poised to benefit as artificial intelligence becomes mainstream: helping small businesses adopt AI and building the infrastructure that powers it.
"I'd be all over AI" O'Leary said, outlining what he sees as the biggest wealth-creation opportunities in the technology's next phase.
The first, according to him, is helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. While millions of businesses want to use AI to improve productivity and cut costs, many lack the expertise to deploy the technology effectively.
"Help small businesses implement AI," he said, arguing that execution—not just advice—is where the biggest opportunity lies. O'Leary believes entrepreneurs who can integrate AI into workflows and business processes will be in high demand as adoption accelerates.
His second bet is on the infrastructure behind AI.
"Data centres are the real estate of AI," he said, pointing to the growing need for computing power as AI models become larger and more widely used. As demand for AI services rises, so does the need for the data centres that house the hardware required to run them.
O'Leary's views also extend to the future of consulting. He argues that AI is already taking over many routine advisory tasks once handled by consultants.
"AI is replacing consultants," he said, noting that companies increasingly use AI for market research, strategic analysis and planning before turning to outside advisors.
He has also been outspoken about his hiring preferences, saying he throws away résumés from candidates who've spent more than seven years in consulting, believing long consulting careers often produce people who analyse businesses rather than build them.
Rather than suggesting consulting will disappear, O'Leary's comments point to a broader shift: as AI automates knowledge work, the greatest opportunities may lie in implementing the technology and building the infrastructure that enables it, rather than simply advising companies on what they should do.