Debt Worries Weigh on AI Stocks; Tesla Robotaxi News Lifts TSLA

This analysis is based on the CNBC report [1] published on December 15, 2025. On that trading day, U.S. stocks declined modestly, driven by investor worries about debt levels in AI infrastructure projects. Key AI-focused companies experienced notable drops: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) led with a 2.21% decline, followed by Microsoft (MSFT, -1.10%), NVIDIA (NVDA, -0.93%), and Alphabet (GOOGL, -1.00%) [0]. The technology sector, heavily weighted in AI, fell 1.40%—the second worst performing sector of the day—exerting downward pressure on the NASDAQ Composite (-1.17%) and S&P 500 (-0.64%) [0]. In contrast, Tesla (TSLA) bucked the trend, rising 1.25% after CEO Elon Musk confirmed the company is testing driverless Robotaxis in Austin, Texas [0][1].

Cross-domain correlations are evident in the data: AI debt concerns are not isolated to individual stocks but are impacting the broader technology sector and major indices like the NASDAQ, which has a high concentration of AI companies [0]. Tesla’s positive performance highlights that investor sentiment toward autonomous technology can diverge from general AI-related worries, underscoring the market’s nuanced view of different tech segments. Additionally, conflicting analyst perspectives—bullish on long-term AI returns versus bearish comparisons to the dot-com bubble [3]—reveal ongoing uncertainty about AI’s investment viability.

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1. AI debt default risk
   : Heavily leveraged AI infrastructure companies could face financial distress if projects fail to generate expected returns [4].
2. Tech sector contagion
   : Continued declines in AI stocks may further drag down the technology sector and broader indices [0].
3. Regulatory uncertainty
   : Tesla’s Robotaxi initiative faces potential regulatory risks that could delay commercial deployment [1].

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Tesla’s Robotaxi program may serve as a long-term growth catalyst if successfully deployed. However, information gaps—including exact debt metrics for AI infrastructure companies and the scale of Tesla’s Robotaxi tests—limit clear assessment of risks and opportunities [2][4].

On December 15, 2025, AI-related stocks (NVDA, AMD, MSFT, GOOGL) declined due to debt concerns, pushing the technology sector down 1.40% and the NASDAQ Composite down 1.17% [0]. Tesla (TSLA) rose 1.25% following confirmation of driverless Robotaxi tests in Austin, Texas [0][1]. Investors should monitor upcoming AI company earnings reports, debt issuance data, and Tesla’s Robotaxi updates to gain clarity on market direction [2][3][4].