Meta has earmarked $600 billion in investment in US infrastructure and job creation by 2028. The announcement was short on the specifics of the investment, but the company said much of it would go towards expanding the development of AI data centers.
Meta said that it continues to be focused on developing next-generation artificial intelligence products and on working towards “personal superintelligence.” The company stressed that the further growth of its data-center network is necessary for these projects, as well as to ensure the country’s leadership in technology.
The $600 billion commitment was first announced during a White House dinner with technology executives in September. Mark Zuckerberg invoked the number at the event itself, and it became more prominent still when a private exchange involving President Trump was caught on a live microphone. It was then that Zuckerberg disclosed he didn’t know which number the president wanted him to announce.
Meta also stressed the job opportunities it has created through its data center operations. Since 2010, the company says these centers have helped create more than 30,000 skilled trade jobs and 5,000 operational positions. Meta says it’s investing more than $20 billion now into those US subcontractors.
The concept of “superintelligence”, with AI capable of surpassing human cognitive abilities, has also been cited in previous Meta announcements. The idea has raised the hackles of some in the industry, who question its safety and are calling for strict safeguards before more work takes place.
Meta is setting its AI glasses up to be a key part of that future. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg hinted that those without such devices could be at a significant cognitive disadvantage in the years ahead.
