SES AI Corp (NYSE: SES), a leader in high-performance lithium-metal batteries, saw its stock plummet 9.58% in pre-market trading on Monday. This drop comes just ahead of the company's planned debut at the 2025 CES Show in Las Vegas next week, where they will unveil a groundbreaking new AI-enhanced battery cell for robotics and drone applications.

According to SES AI, this new battery will be the world's first to contain materials discovered through the company's "Molecular Universe" AI program, which maps the properties of trillions of potential molecules suitable for battery electrolytes. The ability to leverage AI in this way for new materials discovery could be a major competitive advantage.

However, investors may have concerns around the costs and focus required to develop this ambitious new technology. By allocating resources towards the robotics and drone verticals, SES AI could potentially be diverting efforts away from its existing priorities in electric vehicles and urban air mobility. The market response suggests some level of apprehension regarding SES AI's strategic direction in the near term.