@bumbledoom they are indeed spent each time. Once they're spent, they're gone forever. It's taken from your pool, not the ones you currently earned so you have to determine whether or not your spent AIs produce diminishing returns or not.
Like some of the others, I refreshed the page and got a giant jump to like 500 quinquadecillion money and 105 quintillion investors, not particularly complaining, but it does appear to be a bug
 "AdVenture Capitalist"){kind=icon}
 "Auto Turret"){kind=icon}
 "Doodle God"){kind=icon}