AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA Markets Oil at $100 Is a Bigger Threat to AI Stocks Than Most Investors Realize. Here's 1 Reason Why. March 15, 2026 — 04:05 pm EDT Written by Stefon Walters for The Motley Fool -> Key Points Oil prices have surged due to the rising conflict in the Middle East -- and that is having a ripple effect. Data centers use a ton of electricity, which tends to become more expensive as oil prices rise. AI-focused companies will likely see lower profits as their electricity bills increase. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › With the Middle East conflict continuing to carry on, oil prices have remained sharply elevated across the board. While many people associate higher oil prices with paying more to fill up their gas tank, there are implications as well for the growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Rising oil prices won't stop tools like ChatGPT or Gemini from working when you need recipe ideas or a summarized article, but they will affect the companies behind those tools. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Image source: Getty Images. AI companies rely heavily on data centers to train, deploy, and scale their AI models and tools. Without data centers, AI as we know it today wouldn't exist, because they're the physical infrastructure that enables storage and learning for virtually all AI applications. The issue is that these data centers require tons of power, and that's putting it lightly. Power is required to keep thousands of servers running 24/7, cooling systems flowing to prevent overheating and equipment damage, and data moving at high speeds. When oil prices spike, so does the cost to generate this electricity. For AI companies -- especially hyperscalers like Amazon , Microsoft , and Alphabet -- this means operating their data centers becomes more expensive, cutting into their profits. These companies typically charge a flat monthly fee for their AI tools, but suddenly raising prices to offset higher electricity costs could mean losing many customers, so most will simply have to deal with lower profits for the time being. Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 15, 2026. Stefon Walters has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. Tags Markets The Motley Fool Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off. Visit Fool.com for more market news -> More articles by this source -> More Related Articles This data feed is not available at this time. Data is currently not available • Sign up for the TradeTalks newsletter to receive your weekly dose of trading news, trends and education. Delivered Wednesdays.