Short answer: the recent sell-off reflects investor worry that heavy AI spending will outpace visible profit gains, not that Alphabet's core business is broken. Use a checklist to decide: buy the dip only if AI clearly supports Search and Cloud economics, preserves margins, and fits within credible capital-allocation signals.
Microsoft partners with OpenAI to put OpenAI's language models into Microsoft products and to expand Azure's AI services. Alphabet funds DeepMind to develop AI in-house and apply those advances across Google products; which is the better investment depends on whether you prioritize rapid access to third-party models or long-term proprietary control.
The lawsuit alleges Gemini mishandled user data and suffered security breaches, putting the platform's safety protocols under direct scrutiny and exposing gaps in Alphabet's acquisition integration. That scrutiny has already shaken investor confidence and could lower Gemini's valuation through legal costs, regulatory fines, and reputational damage.