The ARK Invest founder breaks down the AI revolution, Tesla’s next move, and whether Britain’s ready to compete
Cathie Wood, the bold voice behind ARK Invest, is known for making big calls on disruptive technology. From Tesla’s dominance in autonomous driving to the AI-powered healthcare revolution, she sees massive shifts on the horizon. Right now, she’s watching how DeepSeek’s AI breakthroughs are shaking up Nvidia, why humanoid robots could be the next trillion-dollar industry, and whether the UK can keep up with the US in tech innovation.
“We're Fully Invested, But Not Buying the Dip Yet”
AI chip prices are crashing, and Nvidia might have more adjusting to do.
Wood is confident in the bull market but isn’t rushing to scoop up Nvidia shares just yet. The cost of AI innovation is falling rapidly—training costs down 75% a year, inference costs dropping 85-90%. DeepSeek is accelerating this, which could shift demand from training chips (where Nvidia dominates) to inference chips, a more competitive space.
“We think the whole area is going to be vibrant. We just think there might be a little bit more of an adjustment to this new reality.”
“AI Will Reshape the Economy—And Health Care is the Sleeper”
Gene editing meets AI: the next trillion-dollar revolution?
ARK Invest sees AI driving massive productivity gains, especially for knowledge workers. But beyond the obvious, Wood is betting big on two spaces: autonomous vehicles and healthcare. She believes robo-taxis will explode into an $8-10 trillion market worldwide. But the real wildcard? AI-powered genetic medicine, where breakthroughs like CRISPR Therapeutics are already curing diseases like sickle cell. Next up: diabetes.
“Think about that—curing disease by helping us decode the secrets of life, death, health.”
“Regulation Has Strangled Innovation—But That’s Changing”
The FTC has been blocking biotech deals. Now, price discovery is back.
Wood expects US regulations to shift under Trump, especially in autonomous driving and biotech. She predicts a move to a single federal regulator for self-driving cars, replacing today’s messy state-by-state rules. In healthcare, she’s relieved that strategic mergers and acquisitions are back on the table—previous FTC restrictions prevented big biotech firms from acquiring startups, stifling growth.
“Now we’re going to see price discovery—how much are these companies that are curing disease worth to large buyers?”
“Tesla’s 7 Million ‘Robots’ Give It an AI Edge”
Musk’s real weapon? Data from millions of Teslas worldwide.
Tesla’s biggest advantage in the autonomous driving race isn’t just AI—it’s data. With 7 million Teslas on the road collecting real-world driving information, Wood sees it outpacing competitors like Waymo, which operates in limited geofenced areas. She expects Musk to push Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) rollout aggressively, despite global regulatory hurdles.
“I have full self-driving. I know it’s not allowed here in the UK or in Europe. But the improvement—you feel it.”
“Elon Musk: The Ultimate Sharpshooter”
Too many companies, too little focus? Not a problem, says Wood.
With Musk now balancing Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and a potential government role, critics wonder if he’s spreading himself too thin. Wood disagrees, arguing that Musk zeroes in on the biggest pain points at any given moment. Right now, that’s autonomy. And should he buy TikTok? She wouldn’t be shocked.
“He is the first CEO who really understands the convergence of technologies happening right now, catalysed by AI.”
“The UK’s Problem? It Hasn’t Built a Deep Venture Pool”
London has the talent, but does it have the capital?
The UK has produced AI giants like DeepMind and ARM, yet struggles to scale startups into global leaders. Wood sees this as a funding issue—there’s no deep VC ecosystem to nurture early-stage companies. With UK leaders like Keir Starmer pushing for more investment in tech, she’s cautiously optimistic that change is coming.
“By all rights, you should be developing a deep venture capital pool here, feeding startups and nourishing them.”
“Europe Is Choking Itself with Regulations”
Why AI firms are fleeing Europe—but not the UK.
While the UK is pushing for more tech investment, Wood warns that the EU is drowning in regulatory red tape. Companies like Palantir are pulling staff from Europe due to aggressive fines (up to 7% of global revenue), stifling growth. By contrast, the UK seems more progressive, and its leadership recognises the problem.
“Half the solution is understanding the problem. The fact that your Prime Minister and finance minister are both saying, ‘We’ve got to figure this out’—that’s a very good thing for the UK.”
What’s Next?
Will ARK Invest buy more Tesla shares?“We want to see how they push full self-driving nationwide.”
Is the AI chip market about to shift?“We’re watching how inference demand stacks up against training chips.”
Can the UK become a global AI powerhouse?“If it builds a stronger VC ecosystem and avoids Europe’s regulatory traps.”
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