AI Disrupts Investing, Microsoft Expands Copilot, and U.S. Eyes $20B Lifeline for Argentina

25th September 2025

AI is rapidly transforming multiple industries. ChatGPT is driving a surge in robo-advisory tools, giving everyday investors access to insights once reserved for Wall Street, while Microsoft is broadening its Copilot platform by integrating Anthropic’s Claude models. In resources, Lithium Americas stock nearly doubled after news the U.S. may take an equity stake in its Thacker Pass project, part of a push to secure critical minerals. TSMC, meanwhile, is turning to AI to design chips that are up to ten times more energy efficient. On the geopolitical front, Washington is preparing a $20 billion swap line to stabilize Argentina’s economy, boosting local markets ahead of key elections. All this in today’s Read It and Eat! 

Major News

• ‘ChatGPT, what stocks should I buy?’ AI Fuels a Surge in Robo-Advisory

As ChatGPT approaches its third birthday, it’s shaking up the world of investing. About one in 10 retail investors are already using chatbots to pick stocks, fueling rapid growth in the robo-advisory market. Once reserved for Wall Street pros with access to expensive terminals, AI tools are now giving everyday investors the ability to analyze markets, track performance, and build portfolios. Analysts expect the sector, which includes fintechs, banks, and wealth managers, to expand nearly 600% from $61.75 billion last year to almost $471 billion by 2029.

For some investors, these tools have become essential. Former UBS analyst Jeremy Leung now relies on ChatGPT to analyze companies for his portfolio after leaving the bank earlier this year. Without access to costly market-data services, he says AI can replicate much of the research workflow he once had, though it can’t pull information hidden behind paywalls. Surveys show the trend is accelerating: eToro found that 13% of investors already use AI for portfolio decisions, while nearly half say they’re open to it. 

Experts, however, warn against treating generic AI models as crystal balls. Dan Moczulski of eToro notes that while AI models can be brilliant, they also risk misquoting figures, leaning on old narratives, or relying too heavily on past market moves. ChatGPT itself cautions that it isn’t designed to give professional financial advice. Still, when Finder asked it to build a portfolio of quality stocks last year including names like Nvidia, Amazon, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart the basket surged 55%, beating many top UK funds.

The excitement comes with big risks. Stock picking still requires financial knowledge, and investors may not be prepared for downturns after riding strong markets. As Leung puts it, the better the prompts and the more credible the sources, the better the AI’s output. But he also warns that if people get too comfortable investing with AI while markets are rising, they may struggle to manage their portfolios when conditions turn. Yahoo.Finance 

• Microsoft Expands Copilot with Anthropic AI Models, Diversifying Beyond OpenAI

Microsoft is expanding its 365 Copilot assistant with new artificial intelligence options, announcing the integration of Anthropic’s Claude models. While Copilot will continue to use OpenAI’s latest technology at its core, users can now choose to work with Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 models. These will be available in Copilot’s “Researcher” tool, as well as when building custom agents in Copilot Studio.

“Starting today, users who opt in can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models in Researcher,” explained Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft’s business and industry Copilot operations. The update gives customers more flexibility to select the AI models that best fit their needs, rather than being tied exclusively to OpenAI.

The move represents a notable shift for Microsoft, which has leaned heavily on OpenAI to power new AI features across apps like Word and Outlook. While the company remains one of OpenAI’s biggest financial backers, it has also been working to reduce dependence on a single partner. Microsoft is developing its own models, incorporating China’s DeepSeek into Azure, and earlier this year announced plans to host models from companies such as Meta and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Anthropic’s Claude models are primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services, a direct rival to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. Still, the integration signals Microsoft’s broader strategy: offering a more diverse set of AI tools, giving customers choice, and positioning Copilot as a flexible platform rather than one tied to a single technology provider. Reuters 

• Lithium Americas Soars as White House Considers Equity Stake in Canadian Miner

Lithium Americas shares nearly doubled on Wednesday after reports that the Trump administration is seeking an equity stake in the Vancouver-based mining company. The proposal comes as Lithium Americas renegotiates the terms of a $2.2 billion Department of Energy loan for its Thacker Pass project in Nevada, according to an administration official who spoke with CNBC. Reuters first reported the talks.

The company’s stock surged 95% to close at $6.01, after hitting a session high of $6.23 more than double Tuesday’s close of $3.07. Lithium Americas now carries a market value of about $1.5 billion. If approved, the deal would mark the first U.S. equity stake in a Canadian miner, signaling the administration’s growing interest in securing direct ownership within the critical minerals supply chain.

Thacker Pass is set to become one of North America’s largest lithium sources when operations begin in 2027. Lithium Americas holds a 62% stake and operates the site, while General Motors owns 38% and has agreed to purchase future output. The companies recently sought to amend their loan terms after missing conditions tied to the first disbursement, asking for repayment to be pushed further out. In exchange, officials said the administration wants a small equity stake to help reduce taxpayer risk.

While no agreement has been finalized, officials described negotiations as positive. Lithium Americas confirmed it is in discussions with the Department of Energy and GM, while GM declined to comment. The potential deal may also require Canadian approval, given the miner’s jurisdiction. The move follows the government’s July investment in MP Materials, a U.S. rare earth miner whose shares have since more than doubled, and reflects a broader push to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals. CNBC 

• TSMC Turns to AI to Make Chips More Energy Efficient

Artificial intelligence chips are powerful but they also consume massive amounts of electricity. On Wednesday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier for Nvidia, unveiled a strategy to make those chips far more energy efficient: using AI-powered software to help design them.

Speaking at a conference in Silicon Valley, TSMC showcased new approaches aimed at improving the energy efficiency of AI chips by as much as tenfold. To put the challenge in perspective, Nvidia’s flagship AI servers can draw up to 1,200 watts under heavy workloads enough energy to power 1,000 U.S. homes if run continuously. TSMC’s vision relies on “chiplets,” where multiple smaller chips built with different technologies are packaged together into a single, more efficient computing system.

To bring these designs to life, TSMC is leaning on AI-driven software from partners like Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys, both of which introduced new tools this week developed in close collaboration with TSMC. In some cases, the AI tools have already outperformed human engineers. “This thing runs five minutes while our designer needs to work for two days,” said Jim Chang, deputy director of TSMC’s 3DIC Methodology Group, highlighting how AI can speed up complex design tasks while maximizing performance.

But improving efficiency isn’t just about smarter design it’s about overcoming fundamental physical limits. Today’s chips are running up against bottlenecks like the speed of moving data through electrical connections. Future breakthroughs may depend on new methods, such as optical connections, that can reliably handle the demands of massive data centers. As Meta engineer Kaushik Veeraraghavan put it in his keynote: “Really, this is not an engineering problem. It’s a fundamental physical problem.” CNBC

• U.S. Signals $20 Billion Swap Line to Support Argentina, Bessent Says

The United States is preparing to extend significant financial support to Argentina, with talks underway for a $20 billion swap line between the U.S. Treasury and Argentina’s central bank.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the negotiations in a post on X Wednesday, calling the move part of a broader effort to stabilize Latin America’s third-largest economy.

Bessent said the U.S. is ready to purchase Argentina’s dollar-denominated bonds, provide standby credit through the Exchange Stabilization Fund, and even buy government debt in primary or secondary markets if conditions require. “Argentina has the tools to defeat speculators, including those who seek to destabilize markets for political objectives,” he wrote, adding that the Treasury stands “fully prepared to do what is necessary.”

Markets responded swiftly. Argentine assets rallied and the peso strengthened after weeks of pressure that saw the central bank burn through more than $1 billion in reserves to defend the currency. The boost came just weeks before Argentina’s October 26 midterm elections, where President Javier Milei’s right-wing party is trying to expand its influence in Congress. Bessent, a former hedge fund executive, argued that investors are overly focused on Argentina’s troubled history: “It’s very hard to believe that it is different this time, but I believe with President Milei it is.”

The U.S. pledge builds on Trump administration efforts to deepen ties with Milei, who has called the U.S. a key partner. While President Trump said earlier this week that Argentina does not need a bailout, he voiced strong support for Milei’s reforms. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva also stressed the importance of Argentina staying the course on its economic program, with $4.8 billion in payments due to the Fund next year. Still, some experts, including former IMF strategy head Martin Muehleisen, cautioned that U.S. promises risk raising expectations if Argentina cannot deliver bipartisan backing for its reforms. Bloomberg 

Minor News  

• Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara Becomes First Leader Since 1967 to Address U.N. General Assembly. CNBC 

• Instagram Reaches 3 Billion Monthly Active Users. Bloomberg 

• China’s Xi Jinping Sets First Firm Emission Target, Pledging 7–10% Cut by 2035. Reuters 

• Intel Approached Apple for Investment. Reuters 

• AI Demonstrates Ability to Pass All CFA Exams in Minutes. CNBC 

• Gene Therapy Slows Progression of Huntington’s Disease in Landmark Study. CNBC

• Gunman Opens Fire at Dallas ICE Facility, Killing One and Critically Injuring Two Before Taking Own Life. CNN 

• Claudia Cardinale, Iconic Italian Actress of Pink Panther and Once Upon a Time in the West, Dies at 87. CNBC