Meta considers move into cloud computing
Meta could turn its attention to the cloud computing sector if its investments in data centres lead to surplus capacity. During the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that competing with market leaders such as Microsoft and Amazon is a real possibility. He mentioned that various external companies regularly enquire about purchasing computing power or API services at a premium rate.
At present, Meta is the only major US hyperscaler without a dedicated cloud services division, despite its substantial investments in AI infrastructure. The company has recently raised its projected AI capital expenditure for 2026 to between $125-$145 billion (€107-€125 billion).
Zuckerberg suggested that the option of renting out unused computing power provides a safety net, which justifies the scale of these investments.
As for the future of AI personal assistants, Zuckerberg said that as users demand more advanced capabilities, a market will emerge for powerful, paid versions of these assistants.
Although Meta ofers certain AI tools for businesses on WhatsApp free of charge, the CEO indicated that a sustainable, long-term revenue strategy is being developed.
In a move towards direct monetisation, Meta announced a trial of monthly subscriptions for its AI app and website. These subscriptions, costing $19.99 or $7.99 per month, will first be rolled out in Bolivia, Guatemala and Singapore.
This initiative ties in with earlier suggestions from Zuckerberg that users would eventually have to pay for greater access to computing power as the technology continues to evolve.
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