Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Shares of artificial intelligence czar Nvidia fell 2.6% on Tuesday as signs of unrest continued rippling through its kingdom.

Over the month, Nvidia has been contending with concerns over lofty valuations and an argument from the “The Big Short” investor Michael Burry that companies may be overestimating the lifespan of Nvidia’s chips. That accounting choice inflates profits, he alleged.

The pressure intensified last week in the form of a potential challenger to the crown. Google on Nov. 18 announced the release of its new AI model Gemini 3 — so far so good, given that Nvidia isn’t in the business of designing large language models  — powered by its in-house AI chips — uh–oh.

And on Monday stateside, Meta, a potential kingmaker, appeared to signal that it is considering not just leasing Google’s custom AI chips, but also using them for its own data centers. It seemed like Nvidia felt the need to address some of those rumblings.

The chipmaker said on the social media platform X that its technology is more powerful and versatile than other types of AI chips, including the so-called ASIC chips, such as Google’s TPUs. Separately, Nvidia issued a private memo to Wall Street that disputed Burry’s allegations.

Power, whether in politics or semiconductors, requires a delicate balance.

Remaining silent may shroud those in power in a cloak of untouchability, projecting confidence in their authority — but also aloofness. Deigning to address unrest can soothe uncertainty, but also, paradoxically, signal insecurity.

For now, the crown is Nvidia’s to wear — and the weight of it is, too.

The UK Autumn Budget 2025 is here. Britain prepares for a “smorgasbord” of tax hikes to be unveiled Wednesday. Follow CNBC’s coverage of the Budget throughout the day on our live blog here. 

U.S. stocks advanced on Tuesday. Major indexes had their third straight winning session, erasing earlier intraday losses. Asia-Pacific markets rose Wednesday. Shares of Foxconn climbed more than 3% after the firm received approval for a contract amendment.

Meta is looking to use Google AI chips. That’s according to a Monday report by The Information. Nvidia on Tuesday wrote on X that its chips are “a generation ahead of the industry.” The chipmaker also sent analysts a memo on alleged bubble claims.

Taiwan President pledges $40 billion more for defense. Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s leader, on Wednesday said the self-governing island will improve its self-defense capabilities in the face of “unprecedented military buildup” by China.

[PRO] What to watch as UK budget is unveiled. Strategists told CNBC they will be monitoring the budget’s effects on interest rates, economic growth and the British pound — and one “rabbit out of the hat” from U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves.

The UK’s Autumn Budget is coming: Here’s what it could mean for your money

The run-up to this year’s U.K. Autumn Budget has been different from the norm because so many different tax proposals have been floated, flagged, leaked and retracted in the weeks and months leading up to Wednesday’s statement.

It has also made it harder to gauge what we’re actually going to get when Finance Minister Rachel Reeves finally unveils her spending and taxation plans for the year ahead.

— Holly Ellyatt

Uber on Wednesday rolled out fully driverless rides in its fourth market, launching the service in Abu Dhabi in partnership WeRide, a Chinese autonomous vehicle company.

The ride-hailing company said the launch in the United Arab Emirates capital represents the first driverless robotaxi service in the Middle East. In the U.S., Uber already offers robotaxi services in Austin, Phoenix and Atlanta through Alphabet’s Waymo.

Riders in Abu Dhabi can book a WeRide robotaxi when requesting an UberX or Uber Comfort ride, the ride-hailing company said.

WeRide, which is listed on the Nasdaq, formed its partnership with Uber in September 2024 and began offering autonomous rides with an operator on board in Abu Dhabi last December. Uber and WeRide also debuted robotaxi rides with a safety operator on board in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, in October. In May, Uber said it plans to roll out the WeRide service to 15 more cities, including in Europe, over the next five years.

In recent years, Uber has bet big on autonomous vehicle technology through partnerships.

Uber started offering a robotaxi service in Austin and Atlanta earlier this year, and in Phoenix in late 2023. In July, the company landed a six-year robotaxi deal with electric vehicle maker Lucid and AV startup Nuro.

WeRide, meanwhile, has launched full driverless robotaxi services in China’s Beijing and Guangzhou, according to its website.

Uber has not said how it splits revenue from robotaxi rides with its partners.

Competitors have also readily adopted the technology, with Lyft announcing a deal with Waymo in September to launch robotaxis in Nashville next year.

Uber said the driverless vehicles in Abu Dhabi will operate in certain areas of Yas Island. Riders can boost their chance of a robotaxi drive by selecting the autonomous option. On-board support is available during the ride through the app and an in-vehicle tablet.

WATCH: WeRide CEO: We are using both Tesla and Waymo’s approach to scale robotaxi operations