Meta to invest up to $65b in AI projects in 2025

LOUISIANA, Jan 27 (AP): Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is planning a substantial investment of up to $65 billion (£559,051 crore) in artificial intelligence initiatives for 2025.

The funds will primarily be directed towards building a massive new data centre and expanding the company's AI workforce, Zuckerberg revealed in a Facebook post on Friday.

The proposed data centre is set to be so expansive that it could occupy a significant portion of Manhattan. Meta aims to bring online approximately one gigawatt of computing power by 2025 and anticipates concluding the year with over 1.3 million graphics processing units.

"This is a massive effort, and over the coming years it will drive our core products and business, unlock historic innovation, and extend American technology leadership," Zuckerberg stated. Meta has been heavily investing in AI over recent years, recently committing $10 billion (£86,440 crore) to a new data centre in Louisiana.

Additionally, the company has acquired advanced computer chips to support products such as its AI assistant and Ray-Ban smartglasses. Zuckerberg also highlighted plans to significantly expand Meta's AI teams in 2025.

The announcement arrives shortly after OpenAI, SoftBank Group, and Oracle Corp. unveiled a $100 billion (£864,404 crore) joint venture, named Stargate, aimed at developing data centres and AI infrastructure across the US.

Increased Capital Expenditure

Meta's planned 2025 capital expenditure marks a 50 per cent rise compared to its estimated spending for 2024, and more than double the amount allocated in 2023.