AI

July 13, 2025

Published 1 month ago

TL;DR

SpaceX invests $2B in xAI; Nvidia targets robotics growth; US imposes 30% EU/Mexico tariffs.


Highlights

  • SpaceX to invest $2 billion in xAI as part of a $5 billion capital raise led by Morgan Stanley 1.
  • This is SpaceX’s first public investment in another Musk-controlled company; xAI recently merged with X, valuing the combined entity at ~$113 billion 1.
  • xAI aims to accelerate large language model (LLM) development to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic 1.
  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang identifies robotics as the company’s next major growth area after AI, calling it a “multitrillion-dollar opportunity” 2.
  • Nvidia reports 72% year-over-year growth in robotics revenue, driven by demand for autonomous vehicles and robotic factories 2.
  • Nvidia’s market cap briefly surpassed $4 trillion, with AI and robotics as key drivers 2.
  • President Trump announces 30% tariffs on all EU and Mexican imports starting August 1, 2025 3.
  • EU and Mexico warn of supply chain disruptions and potential retaliatory tariffs, with particular concern for hardware and semiconductor sectors 3.

Commentary

Capital flows and strategic integration are in focus as SpaceX commits $2 billion to xAI, marking a notable cross-company investment within Elon Musk’s portfolio 1. The funding round, arranged by Morgan Stanley , is intended to accelerate xAI’s LLM development, directly targeting the competitive space currently dominated by OpenAI and Anthropic 1. The recent merger of xAI with X and the new capital injection suggest Musk is consolidating resources to scale both AI infrastructure and product reach 1.

Nvidia’s shareholder meeting signals a clear pivot toward robotics as the next major business driver, with CEO Jensen Huang highlighting strong revenue growth in this segment 2. The company’s position at the intersection of AI compute and physical automation—especially in autonomous vehicles and large-scale factories—continues to expand its addressable market 2. The brief $4 trillion market cap milestone underscores investor confidence in Nvidia’s dual AI-robotics trajectory 2.

On the policy front, the announced 30% tariffs on EU and Mexican imports introduce immediate risk to global hardware and semiconductor supply chains 3. Both regions are critical for components and manufacturing relevant to AI and robotics sectors 3. The threat of retaliatory measures and supply chain disruptions may prompt AI companies to reassess procurement strategies, diversify suppliers, or accelerate localization efforts 3.

AI professionals should monitor the impact of these tariffs on hardware costs and supply continuity, as well as the pace of capital deployment into foundational AI and robotics ventures 3. Market and regulatory volatility could affect timelines for infrastructure expansion and product rollouts 3.

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