September 19, 2025 · 24-Hour AI Briefing: Intel Teams Up with NVIDIA, Turmoil at xAI, Tesla’s Key Talent Joins Meta, Xiaomi Car Recall
Over the past 24 hours, the AI and tech world has seen a new wave of headline-making events. From Intel’s unexpected partnership with NVIDIA, to leadership turmoil at Musk’s xAI, to Tesla losing a core AI talent to Meta, and Xiaomi facing a large-scale recall — each of these stories is reshaping industry dynamics. Here’s today’s AI briefing:
1. Intel soars as NVIDIA invests $5 billion
Intel’s stock surged over 20%, making it the hottest AI stock on Wall Street on September 18. In a stunning move, long-time rival NVIDIA announced a $5 billion investment in Intel. The two companies will co-develop high-performance chips for PCs and AI data centers. After more than a decade of fierce competition in the PC sector, this unexpected alliance could deal a major blow to AMD and ARM.
Analysis: NVIDIA’s $5 billion investment is more than a capital injection — it’s a vote of confidence in Intel’s technology and market potential. This collaboration is also a signal that both companies are preparing for the massive demand in AI data centers and edge computing. While NVIDIA still dominates the AI chip market, it also recognizes that the future of AI requires stronger CPU power and broader ecosystem support. For AMD and ARM, facing Intel and NVIDIA as allies may prove to be their toughest challenge yet.
2. Leadership shake-up at Musk’s xAI
According to The Wall Street Journal, the recent wave of executive departures at Musk’s AI startup xAI stemmed from clashes over management style and the credibility of financial forecasts. Several executives reportedly had intense disputes with Musk’s close advisors Jared Birchall and John Hering, who oversee day-to-day operations. Over the past few months, xAI has lost multiple senior leaders, including former X Corp CEO Linda Yaccarino, ex-CFO Mike Liberatore, former Google scientist Igor Babuschkin, and former General Counsel Robert Keele.
Analysis: Conflicts between technical vision and business operations are common in high-growth tech companies. Disagreements over the credibility of financial forecasts are especially critical during rapid expansion phases. Without resolution, such disputes risk undermining investor confidence and discouraging potential hires. To achieve its ambitious goals, xAI must find a balance — keeping Musk’s bold innovation spirit while establishing a more professional and stable management framework.
3. Tesla’s Optimus AI lead joins Meta
Ashish Kumar, head of Tesla’s Optimus AI team, has left the company to join Meta. Kumar had joined Tesla in July 2023 and was responsible for the AI development of the Optimus project until his departure in September 2025.
Analysis: Ashish Kumar was a central figure in the AI development of Tesla’s humanoid robot project. His departure during such a critical phase of R&D is undoubtedly a setback for Tesla. For Meta, however, this is yet another high-profile talent win in its aggressive push to secure top AI researchers.
4. Xiaomi recalls SU7 EVs over safety concerns
Xiaomi announced an emergency recall of 30% of its SU7 electric vehicles, covering 116,887 units of the standard model produced between February 6, 2024, and August 30, 2025. The issue stems from insufficient recognition and warnings in specific scenarios when the L2 highway pilot assistance system is activated, which may increase collision risks. Xiaomi will fix the problem through an over-the-air software update, provided free of charge.
Analysis: As a newcomer in the EV market, Xiaomi’s SU7 rollout has been met with huge demand. But this large-scale recall signals a major credibility challenge, not just a minor fix. In the race to push advanced driver-assistance systems to market, some automakers have been overly aggressive with features that are not fully matured. Xiaomi’s recall serves as a reminder that in autonomous driving, safety must always come first.
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