Tech Giants Exceed Expectations in AI Race While Metaverse Struggles Persist

Google and Microsoft beat earnings estimates as cloud and AI drive growth, but face rising costs.
Meta's ad business recovered even as metaverse division Reality Labs posted wider losses.
YouTube and Snap showed diverging fortunes, with strong and weak quarterly results respectively.
Executive moves at Alphabet signal greater focus on emerging tech investments and policy.
AI promises long-term potential, but near-term monetization remains uncertain.