CNBC Daily Open: The cost of AI, trade showdown and Iran's 'economic D-day'

Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesHello, this is Leonie Kidd coming to you from London. Alibaba is hoping to summon the AI genie from its bottle with a mega share sale. But investors are not convinced, and news that Nvidia could be hiking prices for some of its biggest customers will also keep the AI community on its toes this week.Geopolitical developments are dominating headlines, with escalating tensions in both Iran and Ukraine, while the trade battle between the U.S. and Canada has also resumed. Read on.What you need to know todayShares in Chinese technology giant Alibaba sank in Hong Kong on Monday, after the group unveiled a $10 billion share placement, designed to fund its AI spending. The move comes just days after Alibaba reported a 75% drop in profit for the June quarter as heavy AI expenditure weighed on its results.Meanwhile, Nvidia is reportedly planning to hike AI prices for some of its largest customers. That's according to Bloomberg, which reported the chipmaker could increase the cost of AI servers to customers by more than 15% in some cases. Technology stocks are weighing on trade across Asia more broadly, with the Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi under the...