Microsoft, Google lead week's AI action
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It might be hyperbolic to say that when it comes to artificial intelligence, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) are at war.
Try telling that to the two tech titans.
Barely a day went by this week without something being said about Microsoft (MSFT) or Google (GOOG) doing something in AI. And as long as AI remains the hot topic in tech, it's doubtful that things will cool down between the two companies any time soon.
At Morgan Stanley, analyst Keith Weiss said Microsoft (MSFT) is the "best positioned to gain market share" among software companies that are developing and supporting AI. Weiss said that data from a Morgan Stanley survey showed Microsoft (MSFT) as being "the largest share gainer' of AI and machine-learning spending in the next few years. 
Adding to the Morgan Stanley survey results was a report from Baird analysts that said Microsoft's (MSFT) Azure service has "the initial upper hand" in generative AI. However, the Baird analysts also said that Amazon's (AMZN) AWS is gaining some ground on Azure.
Meanwhile, Google (GOOG), and its parent company, Alphabet, weren't going to go through the week being silent about AI.
Reports surfaced saying that Google (GOOG) is using its new Bard chatbot in its advertising business, and has also merged its two AI units into one team under its DeepMind unit that it acquired in 2014.
By the end of the week, Google (GOOG) said it had upgraded Bard to make it capable of helping software developers write code for products and services.
Along with Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG), IBM (NYSE:IBM) got in the AI spotlight. As Big Blue reported its first-quarter results, the company said it was seeing more demand for its "enterprise-focused AI" technologies. IBM (IBM) and Moderna (MRNA) also said they would work together to use AI and quantum computing technologies for mRNA research.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), which has taken every opportunity possible to promote is products being used in AI, got upgraded by HSBC analyst James Lee due to what he said was the company's growing opportunities in AI.
Broadcom (AVGO) also got in on the AI game as it unveiled its new Jericho-3 AI chip that can be use to tie disparate AI networks together.
Meanwhile, a group of European lawmakers sent a letter to the European Parliament asking for more-stringent regulations to oversee the expansion and use of AI technology.
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