Cathie Wood says the AI boom is starting to revive a group of older tech names many investors had written off. The Ark Invest CEO called them “blasts from the past,” arguing that AI infrastructure spending is now lifting companies beyond the usual mega-cap winners. The names she highlighted include Intel, Cisco, Corning, Flex and Akamai Technologies. The common theme is infrastructure. Intel is trying to regain relevance through AI chips and its foundry ambitions. Cisco is positioning itself around AI networking demand. Corning is benefiting from demand for fiber and connectivity products tied to data center buildouts. Flex has become a manufacturing and supply chain player connected to AI hardware deployment. Akamai may be the most surprising name on the list. Wood noted that the company, long seen as a slower-growth cloud and edge computing player, recently secured a hyperscaler order. That could signal AI demand is reaching deeper into older infrastructure businesses. Her broader point is that AI is no longer just a narrow software or semiconductor story. It is becoming a full-scale infrastructure cycle. That matters because infrastructure cycles can pull in companies with manufacturing capacity, enterprise relationships and technical expertise. The takeaway: Wall Street may be underestimating how broad the AI ripple effect could become. Some forgotten tech names may be getting a second life from the AI boom.