Meta raises its spending on artificial intelligence and closes the gap with Microsoft

The competition to lead the development of artificial intelligence has prompted Meta and Microsoft to direct large sums of money to technology infrastructure and data centers. Both companies are significantly increasing their investments, reflecting the weight that AI has gained in their overall strategies.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, raised its capital spending forecast for this year to between $70 billion and $72 billion. Most of the resources will be allocated to data centers and the remuneration of researchers specialized in AI. For Meta, the figure represents a notable increase compared to the $28 billion invested in 2023 and last year's $39 billion.

The company also anticipated that its spending would be "notably larger in 2026 than in 2025," indicating that the expansion of infrastructure and specialized personnel will continue in the coming years.

Rising spending and direct competition with Microsoft

With this update, Meta's capital spending is approaching that of Microsoft, which had projected $88 billion for its fiscal year 2025. Analysts said Meta's spending could reach $100 billion next year, which would put it among the biggest investors in the technology sector.

Internal reorganization and changes in the AI division.

Meta has gone through four reorganizations in its artificial intelligence division over the past eight months, moving the direction of its models and products to new hires. Last week, it laid off 600 employees, deemed internally unsuccessful. It also downsized its risk review team to accelerate the development of new AI products, according to internal sources.

Among the most notable moves, CEO Mark Zuckerberg invested $14.9 billion in Scale AI, a data tagging startup, and appointed its CEO, Alexandr Wang, as Meta's new head of AI.