AXIOS (Joann Muller) - Tesla's push into AI and robotics is proving costly
Tesla's massive investments in humanoid robots , self-driving cars and AI chips are hurting profits, but the company says it'll all pay off down the line. Why it matters: CEO Elon Musk indicated he's "never been more optimistic about the future," but acknowledged the investments could lead to uneven results. Zoom in: Tesla revenue jumped on record vehicle deliveries in the second quarter, but the company saw a significant dip in operating profit because of its heavy spending on R&D. - Tesla plans to spend more than $25 billion on capital investments this year, and that spending rate will grow over the the next two or three years, CFO Vaibhav Taneja told investors and analysts on a call late Wednesday. - Additionally, Tesla plans to…