Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the hottest investment theme, thanks to the technology's potential to improve everything from people's daily routines to the way business is done. It can be applied to all areas -- helping automakers boost factory efficiency and pharma companies develop drugs more quickly, to cite just a couple of examples. The great thing about AI is that companies that create the technology or use the technology both can win, and this offers investors many opportunities to share in the victory, too.

You don't have to invest a huge amount of money to bet on these exciting players. Below, I'll talk about three of my AI favorites to buy and hold for the long term -- and you can even pick one up for less than $25 a share. But if you happen to have $1,000 to invest, you can get in on all three and take a position in the industry's most promising players.

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Source Fool.com