Meta is preparing to significantly increase its investment in artificial intelligence, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg announcing plans to spend up to $135 billion on AI-related projects in 2026. The move positions the Facebook parent company among the most aggressive investors in artificial intelligence, even as concerns grow within the tech industry about a potential AI investment bubble.
The announcement was made during Meta’s earnings call with financial analysts, where the company reviewed its financial performance for 2025. Meta confirmed that the majority of the planned spending will go toward AI-focused infrastructure, including data centers, computing power, and advanced systems needed to support large-scale AI development.
The proposed investment marks a sharp increase from the $72 billion Meta spent last year on AI projects and infrastructure. Over the past three years, the company has already invested close to $140 billion in an effort to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. This sustained spending highlights Meta’s long-term commitment to embedding artificial intelligence across its platforms and internal operations.
Zuckerberg described 2026 as a pivotal year, stating that he expects AI to dramatically transform the way people work. He emphasized that AI tools are already reshaping productivity inside Meta, enabling smaller teams, or even individual employees, to accomplish tasks that once required large groups.
Despite the ambitious vision, Meta’s latest financial figures show that expenses have been rising faster than revenues, placing pressure on profit margins toward the end of 2025. Even so, investors responded positively, with Meta shares climbing around 6.5 percent in extended trading following the announcement.
Zuckerberg’s comments also hinted at further workforce changes. He noted that as AI tools become more effective, the gap between highly productive employees and others is widening. Earlier this year, Meta laid off several hundred workers, mainly within its Reality Labs division, which focuses on metaverse initiatives, hardware development, and AI research.
Internally, Meta is expanding the use of AI tools to help employees, particularly software engineers, complete more work in less time. According to Zuckerberg, AI-powered agents are beginning to deliver real results, though he acknowledged that it remains difficult to predict how organizational structures will evolve as these technologies mature.
While Meta pushes forward, skepticism remains across the industry. Several high-profile executives have warned that the current surge in AI investment could resemble the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins suggested that while AI may ultimately surpass the internet in impact, many companies investing heavily today may not survive. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have also pointed to signs of excess and irrational behavior in the market.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been equally candid, stating that investors are likely overexcited about AI at this stage. Despite these warnings, Meta appears determined to maintain its aggressive strategy, betting that long-term gains will outweigh short-term risks.
