The list of the world's most prominent companies has undergone a paradigm shift over the past couple of decades, one that has accelerated since early last year. Case in point: In 2004, General Electric and ExxonMobil were the largest companies in the world by market cap, valued at $319 billion and $283 billion, respectively.

Now, just 20 years later, technology is king of the hill. Earlier this year, Microsoft became the world's most valuable company, boasting a market cap of $3.2 trillion, dethroning Apple, currently worth $2.9 trillion. Nvidia's market cap has surged to $2.3 trillion, pushing it past , Amazon, and Meta Platforms, which sport market caps of between $1.2 trillion and $2.2 trillion.

Eagle-eyed investors will have spotted the common theme that sets these tech titans apart -- they're all leaders in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

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Source Fool.com