Key insights
- The article discusses the surging AI stock market, highlighting Nvidia's high valuation and contrasting it with Rivian Automotive, which is presented as an undervalued AI play despite its EV focus. It also draws parallels to Tesla, suggesting the market values it as an AI company due to its self-driving technology and AI integration, rather than just an EV manufacturer. This suggests a broader market trend of valuing companies based on AI potential, potentially creating opportunities in less obvious AI-related stocks.
It's hard to score a deal if you're sticking with artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Nvidia (NVDA 1.00%), for example, has a massive $5.2 trillion market cap, yet trades at an astounding 33 times earnings. A decade ago, it was difficult to even imagine a company growing this big, let alone trading at a premium valuation.
But what if I told you one of my favorite artificial intelligence stocks still has a market cap under $20 billion with several major growth catalysts on the way, both in the short and long terms? To secure a bargain hunting for AI stocks, you'll have to think outside the box. If you do, you'll likely see the allure of this promising company.
Most investors believe that Rivian Automotive (RIVN +7.11%) is an electric vehicle (EV) stock. And in many ways that's true. Rivian does manufacture EVs. But that should be considered its legacy business. Moving forward, Rivian is very much an AI stock.
What makes Rivian an AI stock and not an EV stock? There is one important factor to understand.
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Take a look at Tesla (TSLA 1.40%). Tesla is trading near a record-high valuation of $1.3 trillion despite declining sales in its core auto business. Electric vehicle sales are struggling mightily across the industry, all while competition in the EV space is heating up.
Why, then, is Tesla trading near record highs? Because the market no longer sees it as a legacy automotive manufacturing business. Instead, Tesla is now viewed as a bona fide AI stock. The company is injecting AI more aggressively into its design and manufacturing processes, as well as its in-vehicle experiences, particularly when it comes to self-driving features.
One little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" owns the technology Nvidia, AMD, and Intel cannot function without. And it is still just a fraction of Nvidia’s size.
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According to the World Economic Forum, AI is quickly becoming a key enabler of autonomous driving capacities. And it's not hard to see why. "AI-driven simulation platforms can generate synthetic datasets, providing scalable, diverse and targeted training scenarios," a WEF report concludes. "Such data enables developers to simulate millions of miles of driving while covering both routine and rare scenarios."
If full autonomy is achieved, the robotaxi market should take off rapidly. Long-term, some experts believe this market is worth up to $10 trillion, perhaps with superior margins and competitive moats compared to traditional auto manufacturing.
To be fair, Rivian is still trying to scale its auto manufacturing business. This year, it officially began deliveries of its R2 SUV, its first model priced under $50,000. Rivian's management team, however, seems dead set on ensuring its vehicles are suitable for the fledgling robotaxi industry. According to reports, the company "no longer expects to be adjusted EBITDA positive in 2027 due to an expected increase in R&D spend associated with the acceleration of its autonomy roadmap."
We're already seeing validation of Rivian's autonomy-first approach. Earlier this year, Uber Technologies committed to buy up to 50,000 Rivian R2 SUVs in a $1.25 billion deal. Uber intends to use these vehicles to power its own robotaxi fleet.
Rivian doesn't have the scale or brand-name recognition of Tesla. But its investments in AI and autonomy, combined with Uber's blockbuster deal, strongly point to it becoming a serious player in what could become a multitrillion-dollar global robotaxi industry. With shares down nearly 25% since 2026 began, this is a rare chance to buy into an emerging AI stock at a sizable discount.