Why the Market’s Still Obsessed With AI

May 16, 2025 • 1 minute, 3 second read

Make no mistake: The stock market peaked in February, following the news that China had released a new AI program.

DeepSeek isn’t just a ChatGPT clone. According to China, it was able to train the AI with substantially fewer resources.

That’s a huge breakthrough. And a sign of a global “Cold War” in AI development.

That potential escalation still looks some time off. For now, investors love AI because it’s a pure growth story, by any metric.

For instance, ChatGPT’s total users now exceed those of Wikipedia:

Turn Your Images On

I remember when Wikipedia first launched. Several of my college professors said it shouldn’t be used as it wasn’t reliable. I also remember going on Wikipedia, ignoring the article, and going straight to the footnotes that could be used and were reliable.

Today, AI models are best used similarly: to get the creative juices flowing and to run through some ideas, not do all the work and turn down the human capacity to think.

Be mindful, though. As the saying goes, today is the worst AI will ever be.

Times and technology change, and ChatGPT’s rise shows that its fast growth comes at the cost of disrupting other industries – and that there’s more growth ahead.

-Andrew

Ripple Effect

Why the Market’s Still Obsessed With AI

Andrew Packer

May 16, 2025 • 1 minute, 3 second read

Make no mistake: The stock market peaked in February, following the news that China had released a new AI program.

DeepSeek isn’t just a ChatGPT clone. According to China, it was able to train the AI with substantially fewer resources.

That’s a huge breakthrough. And a sign of a global “Cold War” in AI development.

That potential escalation still looks some time off. For now, investors love AI because it’s a pure growth story, by any metric.

For instance, ChatGPT’s total users now exceed those of Wikipedia:

Turn Your Images On

Today, AI models are best used similarly: to get the creative juices flowing and to run through some ideas, not do all the work and turn down the human capacity to think.

Be mindful, though. As the saying goes, today is the worst AI will ever be.

Times and technology change, and ChatGPT’s rise shows that its fast growth comes at the cost of disrupting other industries – and that there’s more growth ahead.

-Andrew

Copper’s Clear Signal

August 17, 2026 • Addison Wiggin

Copper and resources are sending us a cleaner market signal than AI stocks.

Channeling Ludwig von Mises, we observe this morning that price is not just a number; it’s information. Price reflects what buyers and sellers collectively believe: demand, scarcity, fear, speculation, disappointment, future expectations and available supply.

When prices rise, and inventories fall at the same time, the message is usually straightforward: buyers need the stuff, and there is not enough of it.

Market Crash Insurance Is Cheap

August 14, 2026 • Addison Wiggin

A low VIX does not predict disaster. It measures complacency. A serial skeptic will read it as the calm before a storm. We shook off that feeling this morning and opted to pursue an opportunity instead.

Here goes:

A VIX reading below 15 means the market is not pricing in much near-term trouble, even though there are obvious risks still sitting in the room: Iran, oil prices, memory chip speculation, circular financing, high valuations, epic high concentrations, spiking long-term interest rates, a regime change at the Fed, a meltdown in Japan and a historic deficit and rising national debt.

Beware: Financial Innovation In AI

August 13, 2026 • Addison Wiggin

Money is not flowing in a clean, straight line from outside investors to productive businesses. The firms at the top are investing in and buying from each other.

Microsoft and OpenAI are the easiest examples to follow.

Microsoft says OpenAI has contracted to purchase an additional $250 billion in Azure services, while Microsoft continues to account for $13 billion in funding commitments to OpenAI as an investment.

Signs of a Late-Stage Bull Market

August 12, 2026 • Addison Wiggin

At this stage, it’s a stock picker’s market.

We expect space, robotics and some more visible tech startups to remain sources of speculation. After weakness in the first half of 2026, we’re also due for a strong rotation of capital into natural resources, precious metals, critical minerals and energy.