AI Investing Glossary
What is AI-washing?
AI-washing is presenting a company as an AI investment when AI is neither in its supply chain nor meaningfully in its product, usually through heavy AI mentions on earnings calls and in marketing. The test that cuts through it: does money from the AI buildout actually land in this company's revenue?
Why it matters for AI investors
AI-washing is why a curated universe matters: Supercycle's inclusion bar requires being in the buildout supply chain or shipping AI in the customer-facing product, and internal AI use does not qualify. Names that failed the bar were removed, and the do-not-re-add list is maintained deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
How do I spot AI-washing in a stock?
Ask what the customer buys. If the product's core function is powered by AI, or the company is paid by AI buildout spending, the exposure is real. If the AI story requires a narrative rather than a customer, or lives mostly in earnings-call mentions, it is washing. Counting AI mentions versus AI revenue is a fast first filter.
Related terms
See how this fits the whole picture in the Start Here guide, or browse the full glossary.