Microsoft is having its iPhone moment

• Microsoft is on the verge of a major turning point with Copilot, analysts say.

• As the popularity of its AI tool grows, analysts say its cloud products will continue to benefit.

• The tech giant exceeded Wall Street's estimates in the first quarter.

Microsoft's investments in artificial intelligence might be driving it toward a historic moment.

Analysts from the investment bank Wedbush Securities said in a note Friday that they believed the tech giant was having its "iPhone moment" in AI. The term is used to describe the turning point when a piece of technology sees a steep rise in popularity and widespread adoption — like when Apple's iPhone took off with consumers.

For Microsoft, Copilot might be the driver. The analysts said they'd observed "major momentum" in the use of AI that stands to benefit CEO Satya Nadella and his company even more than it already has.

AI is on track to change the tech industry forever, and they predict it will continue to push Microsoft's cloud products, such as Azure, forward.

"We estimate for every $100 of cloud Azure spend with MSFT the last few years there is an incremental $35-$40 of AI spend for Nadella & Co. looking ahead," the Wedbush analysts, led by Dan Ives, wrote.

And if Microsoft's first-quarter report is any indication, AI is already paying off. Microsoft Cloud generated $35.1 billion in revenue in the first quarter — up 23% year over year — and Nadella said investing in Copilot was part of the reason.

Copilot is "orchestrating a new era of AI transformation," Nadella said in the earnings release.

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