Since going public, the bears have been the most vocal critics of this AI stock. While artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are currently in high demand, they were also on investors' radars a few years ago. C3. ai (AI 3. 50%), for instance, made its initial public offering (IPO) in December 2020. Although the AI enterprise software stock initially lost over 7% on its first day of trading, it quickly rebounded and experienced a 50% surge throughout the remaining days of 2020. However, those who held onto shares of C3. ai since its IPO have not benefited from the recent excitement surrounding AI stocks. In fact, early shareholders still have a long way to go before considering their C3. ai investments profitable. A Downhill Journey since 2021 In its early days as a publicly traded stock, C3. ai reached its all-time high. On December 22, 2020, C3. ai stock closed at $177. 47, a milestone it has not achieved again. The following day, it reached an intraday high of $183. 90, but has not risen to such levels since.

Despite the company's revenue growth, its net losses have increased significantly, along with negative operational cash flows. These financial trends have led investors to penalize the stock. Early investors in C3. ai have experienced substantial losses, with shares falling nearly 74% since their first day of trading. If you started with an initial investment of $10, 000 and are now celebrating your three-year anniversary of owning C3. ai stock, you would have a remaining amount of only $3, 913. Should You Buy This AI Stock? Savvy investors understand that volatility is an inherent aspect of investing in growth stocks like C3. ai. Therefore, those considering C3. ai as a means of accessing AI exposure should not dismiss the stock solely based on its past performance. There are reasons to believe the stock can surge again. However, more cautious individuals may prefer to explore other leading AI stocks instead.