Li Auto (LI) shares surged 5.63% in the pre-market trading session on Thursday, following comments from the company's CEO about its future plans in the robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) space. The stock's rally outpaced the broader market, reflecting investors' optimism about Li Auto's growth prospects.
In an AI Talk event on Wednesday, Li Xiang, Li Auto's founder and CEO, revealed that the company is certain to venture into the field of humanoid robots, although the timing is not immediate. Li Xiang believes that smart cars are essentially simple robots, and Li Auto aims to leverage its expertise in autonomous driving to develop more sophisticated AI robots in the future.
The CEO's vision positions Li Auto as an AI company, using cars as a vehicle to bring AI technology into every household. This ambitious goal resonated with investors, who see the potential for Li Auto to expand beyond the electric vehicle (EV) market and capitalize on the burgeoning AI and robotics industries.