Abel: Two ways Berkshire hopes to cash in on AI

(This is the Warren Buffett Watch newsletter, news and analysis on all things Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. You can sign up here to receive it every Friday evening in your inbox.)Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel told CNBC the company is pursuing artificial intelligence opportunities on two paths.In a live "Squawk Box" interview Wednesday morning, Abel said he sees providing energy to the growing number of AI data centers as a "significant opportunity for Berkshire and Berkshire Hathaway Energy" since he's long believed the biggest constraint for the buildout is having enough energy to operate the power-hungry facilities.But, he said, the company will only sell energy to hyperscalers if there is "no impact to the rates of our other customers."The other avenue is Berkshire's now almost $36 billion investment in shares of Google parent Alphabet that was initiated by Warren Buffett last year.Abel said from the experience of Berkshire's own operating companies, he and Buffett knew AI was "going to have a significant impact on America and businesses," and "we saw Google as a significant player."Abel did the interview from Japan, where he was visiting a Berkshire tool-making unit...