Artificial intelligence remains one of the driving forces behind the stock market. Despite China’s AI lab DeepSeek interrupting the upward trajectory of some of the top chipmakers, AI is still a vibrant investment theme, arguably more so since the revelation.
Yet that also means finding cheap AI stocks is infinitely harder. Even after falling sharply following the DeepSeek announcement, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) is still valued at more than $3.2 trillion and NVDA stock goes for $134 per share.
Similarly Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) has galloped ahead over the past year. Where it used to routinely trade around $20 a stub, it has since risen nearly 400% and goes for $111 per share today.
While a low price doesn’t necessarily make a stock a buy, there are still a few affordable AI stocks to buy that also trade for under $30 a share.
ACM Research (ACMR)
Semiconductor equipment maker ACM Research is poised to benefit from rising trade tensions between U.S. and China
Specialized semiconductor equipment manufacturer ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR) is the first AI stock under $30 you should consider buying.
Following the election of President Trump, I had predicted ACMR stock would double during his presidency and year-to-date it is already halfway there. The reason I liked ACM Research was that it makes the wafer cleaning and packaging equipment used in the manufacturing of advanced artificial intelligence chips.
By eliminating contaminants from wafer surfaces at the front end of the chip processing cycle, its machines perform the critical step of creating pristine surfaces before the wafers are made.
However, the majority of ACM Research’s business is done in China. With the looming trade war between the two countries, the semi equipment maker will benefit as Chinese companies turn to domestic suppliers rather than rely upon equipment makers in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Its largest customer is Semiconductor Manufacturing International, China’s largest chip foundry, which accounted for nearly 17% of total revenue last year. Mainland China power-chip company, SiEn, represents another 15% of sales.
At $23 per share, ACMR may not remain under $30 for very much longer, especially as it is scheduled to report its latest results on Feb. 26.
Pony AI (PONY)
Autonomous vehicle stock Pony AI is galloping ahead with testing of autonomous trucks in China
A riskier AI bet is Pony AI (NASDAQ:PONY), a Chinese autonomous vehicle maker that recently went public in November. It operates a fleet of 250 robotaxis across major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
This puts it on par with rival services here in the U.S. like Alphabet‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) Waymo and Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv (NYSE:APTV). Pony announced it was expanding into shuttle services at Hong Kong International Airport and just got approval to begin testing autonomous trucks on highways connecting Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province.
Pony has established a presence in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East, which promises greater expansion possibilities. However, the company is currently unprofitable, though analysts at Bank of America see it operating in the black by 2029.
At less than $15 a share, PONY stock offers a cheap way of breaking into AI and robotaxis.
SoundHound AI (SOUN)
SoundHound AI is more than just its music ID software with a reach into autos, restaurants, and more
The third AI stock under $30 to buy is SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN). Best-known for its music recognition service, SoundHound is a leader in speech and audio recognition and has partnerships with leading automotive manufacturers, restaurants operators, and in other industries.
The biggest problem I’ve had with SoundHound in the past is the fact is it is unprofitable and never has been. Despite being in business for over 15 years, it still can’t figure out how to make money. It also faces competition from larger, better financed rivals in some of its key end markets like Alphabet and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Yet SOUN stock is up almost 800% over the past year (it was much, much higher as recently as December), but as it expands its partnerships such as its recent deal with electric vehicle maker Lucid Group (NYSE:LCID), it may just achieve profitability.
At $15 a share, it remains an AI stock under $30 with room to grow.
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