Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced the company's plans to invest between $60 billion and $65 billion in capital expenditures in 2025, emphasizing the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) development. During a luncheon on the inauguration day of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, Zuckerberg highlighted that 2025 will be pivotal for AI, with Meta constructing a large datacenter expected to cover a significant part of Manhattan to support its AI initiatives.
Zuckerberg outlined that the company aims to add approximately 1 gigawatt of computing power and finish the year with over 1.3 million graphics processing units. He characterized this as a substantial effort that will enhance Meta's core products and drive innovation in the technology sector.
Following the announcement, Meta's shares reached an all-time high during intraday trading. Despite the significant financial commitment, the company has faced challenges in the competitive AI market, and Zuckerberg previously indicated that it may take several years for these investments to yield profitable outcomes. In an earlier investor call, he mentioned a "multiyear investment cycle" before realizing the benefits of Meta’s AI products, although he expressed confidence in the company's historical ability to navigate such challenges.
Zuckerberg also stated that he anticipates Meta AI will become a leading digital assistant, serving over 1 billion users. Additionally, the company is developing an AI engineer to enhance its research and development capabilities. He reassured stakeholders that Meta possesses the financial resources to sustain its investment in AI in the coming years.