BOSTON – July 15, 2025 – Bain & Company today announced a strategic partnership with Dr. Andrew Ng and his advisory firm, AI Aspire, to help organizations unlock scalable, transformative value from artificial intelligence. Dr. Ng is a renowned British-American computer scientist, AI thought leader, and founder of DeepLearning.AI.
The collaboration combines Bain’s deep industry knowledge and expertise in AI implementation with Dr. Ng’s pioneering insights in AI and machine learning, with the goal of empowering companies to move beyond experimentation and deliver enterprise-level results with AI.
“AI is the most transformative technology of our generation—and realizing its full potential requires both cutting-edge technical thinking and practical execution at scale,” said Chuck Whitten, senior partner and global head of Bain & Company’s digital capabilities. “That’s what Bain does best. We’re thrilled to welcome Andrew Ng—one of the foremost minds in AI—to our team, joining forces with our 1,500 AI and digital practitioners to help clients move from experimentation to enterprise-wide impact.”
As demand for AI-enabled solutions accelerates, Bain has seen a sharp rise in client needs across sectors. Tech- and AI-enabled revenue now comprises approximately 30% of the firm’s business, with expectations to grow to 50% in the coming years.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Bain & Company to make the best AI thinking accessible to leaders around the world,” said Dr. Andrew Ng. “Companies that lack a thoughtful, strategic approach to AI risk falling far behind their competitors. This partnership is about equipping organizations to lead—not follow.”
Bain’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice includes more than 1,500 AI, data, analytics, architecture, and engineering experts. This multidisciplinary team combines algorithmic, technical, and business expertise to solve business leaders’ hardest problems. This includes machine learning application implementation, business insight delivery, technology architecture and engineering, organizational development, and analytics strategy. The group integrates closely with the firm’s industry and capability practices to deliver holistic business and technology solutions.
The firm has also significantly expanded its wider digital and AI ecosystem of partner organizations, including forming key alliances with OpenAI, Microsoft, AWS, Google, SAP, Salesforce, and IBM.
Bain & Company is a global consultancy that helps the world’s most ambitious change makers define the future.
Across 65 cities in 40 countries, we work alongside our clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. Our 10-year commitment to invest more than $1 billion in pro bono services brings our talent, expertise, and insight to organizations tackling today’s urgent challenges in education, racial equity, social justice, economic development, and the environment. We earned a platinum rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains, putting us in the top 1% of all companies. Since our founding in 1973, we have measured our success by the success of our clients, and we proudly maintain the highest level of client advocacy in the industry.
About AI Aspire
Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, AI Aspire is Dr. Andrew Ng’s new advisory firm guiding enterprises through their AI transformation journeys. The firm is led day-to-day by its Managing Partner Kirsty Tan, whose deep enterprise consulting experience brings fresh leadership to the firm’s mission of helping large organizations harness the power of AI. Through AI Aspire, Dr. Ng continues to leverage the flywheel effect of his broader ecosystem, including AI Fund and DeepLearning.AI, to accelerate responsible and effective AI adoption across industries.
With a career dedicated to advancing machine learning and making AI education accessible to millions, Dr. Ng has built some of the most influential organizations in the field. He founded DeepLearning.AI, is Managing General Partner at AI Fund, Executive Chairman of LandingAI, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera, and serves as Adjunct Professor at Stanford University.
As the founding lead of Google Brain and former Chief Scientist at Baidu, Dr. Ng has guided some of the world’s largest technology companies into the AI era. He was named to the 2013 Time100 most influential people in the world and 2023 Time100 AI list of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence. Dr. Ng now devotes himself to helping enterprises adopt AI responsibly and effectively – unlocking new opportunities for innovation, growth, and positive societal impact through AI Aspire.
Finding hot artificial intelligence (AI) stocks is an easy task. For example, shares of both Nvidia(NVDA 1.06%) and Palantir Technologies(PLTR 2.13%) have skyrocketed by roughly 50% in just the past three months.
But predicting which AI stocks will be huge winners in the future isn’t so easy, at least not with a high degree of confidence. However, Wall Street analysts think one AI stock will soar 64% higher over the next 12 months.
Image source: Getty Images.
Wall Street loves this Chinese AI stock
The stock I’m referring to isn’t Nvidia or Palantir, by the way. The consensus 12-month price target for Nvidia reflects an upside potential of less than 3%. Many analysts are downright pessimistic about Palantir’s near-term prospects, with an average price target that’s more than 30% lower than the current share price.
However, Wall Street loves JD.com(JD 3.35%). The consensus price target for this Chinese AI stock is $51.82. This number indicates that analysts, on average, believe that JD.com’s share price could soar roughly 64% over the next 12 months. The most optimistic analyst surveyed by LSEG thinks that the stock could vault 123% higher during the period.
The upbeat view about JD.com is nearly universal, too. Of the 37 analysts surveyed by LSEG in July, seven rated the stock as a “strong buy.” Another 26 analysts rated it as a “buy.” The four outliers recommended holding JD.com. Not a single analyst contacted by LSEG thought selling shares was a good idea.
The “Amazon of China”
Why does Wall Street think so highly of JD.com? At least part of the appeal is the company’s solid business. JD.com is sometimes called the “Amazon(AMZN 0.39%) of China.” Like Amazon, it runs a large e-commerce platform and major logistics operations.
Also similar to Amazon, JD.com has expanded into the healthcare arena. JD Health is one of China’s largest online healthcare platforms. It provides telehealth services and healthcare products (including prescription drugs) to customers. While JD Health is traded publicly, it’s still a subsidiary of JD.com.
JD.com is well positioned to benefit from the integration of AI into its online platforms and logistics operations. It should also profit more directly from AI via its 43.6% stake in JD Technology. In 2021, JD.com transferred its AI and cloud business to JD Technology.
Analysts also have to like JD.com’s valuation. The stock trades at only nine times forward earnings. That’s inexpensive compared to Nvidia’s forward price-to-earnings ratio of 38 and dirt cheap compared to Palantir’s forward earnings multiple of 263. But while those two AI stocks have surged in recent months, JD.com remains more than 30% below its 12-month high.
Should you buy this beaten-down AI stock?
Investors shouldn’t buy JD.com solely because Wall Street recommends the stock. However, it’s wise to consider the reasons why analysts like it. JD.com’s dominance in the Chinese e-commerce market is impressive. The stock’s valuation is attractive.
To be sure, JD.com isn’t delivering the kind of growth that Nvidia and Palantir are. Of course, it isn’t priced at the premium those two stocks are, either. But JD’s year-over-year revenue growth of nearly 16% in the first quarter of 2025 isn’t too shabby. The Chinese e-commerce leader is also consistently profitable and generates strong free cash flow.
Keep in mind, though, that JD.com faces some risks associated with being headquartered in China that U.S.-based companies don’t have to worry about. For example, the company acknowledged in a regulatory filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the Chinese government “may intervene or influence our operations at any time.”
I don’t think JD.com is an ideal stock for risk-averse investors to buy. However, more aggressive investors might like this beaten-down AI stock that’s a Wall Street favorite.
John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Keith Speights has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends JD.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the future — but not without a cost. A new report by the White House Council of Economic Advisors warns that AI and cloud computing may drive up electricity prices dramatically across the United States unless urgent investments are made in power infrastructure.
The study highlights a significant shift: after decades of minimal electricity demand growth, 2024 alone saw a 2% rise, largely attributed to the surge in AI-powered data centers. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2030, data centers in the US could consume more electricity than the combined output of heavy industries such as aluminum, steel, cement, and chemicals.
Productivity Promises VS Power Pressures
Despite the looming challenges, the report does not discount AI’s potential benefits. If half of all US businesses adopt AI by 2034, labor productivity could rise by 1.5 percentage points annually, potentially boosting GDP growth by 0.4% that year. But that promise comes with a price.
To meet the surge in demand, especially when factoring in industrial electrification and efforts to reshore manufacturing, the US would need to invest an estimated 1.4 trillion Dollars between 2025 and 2030 in new electricity generation. That figure surpasses the industry’s investment over the past decade. The study cautions that without the emergence of lower-cost power providers — such as renewables or advanced nuclear — electricity bills will rise sharply.
Star26 Capital Inc. is collaborating with Delaware-based Synthetic Darwin to supercharge its defense tech developments through self-growing AI.
This partnership will utilize Darwinslab, an AI ecosystem where digital agents generate, assess, and cultivate other algorithms inspired by biological evolution.
The solution slashes the time needed to build or sustain complex AI systems, shrinking development cycles to days and enabling rapid adaptation to new data and mission needs.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login