Meta launches ‘Meta Compute’ initiative to strengthen AI infrastructure

Staff Report: PNN

Meta is stepping up large-scale infrastructure expansion to strengthen its position in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. For this purpose, the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new initiative called ‘Meta Compute’. Through this initiative, the social media giant plans to make major investments in AI-driven data centers and technology infrastructure in the coming years.

In a post on the social media platform Threads on Monday, Zuckerberg stated that Meta aims to establish infrastructure with capacities ranging from tens to hundreds of gigawatts over the current decade. He said, “How we design, invest in, and establish partnerships for this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage for us in the future.”

A gigawatt is a measure of electric power equal to one billion watts. Experts believe that as demand for AI-based data processing and cloud computing grows, global electricity usage, including in the US, could face significant pressure in the next decade.

Three top executives have been assigned to implement this new initiative, according to Zuckerberg. Among them is Santosh Janardhan, Head of Global Infrastructure at Meta, who has been with the company since 2009. He will oversee technical infrastructure, software architecture, in-house chip development, developer enablement, and the management of data centers and networks worldwide.

Additionally, Daniel Gross, who joined Meta last year, will lead a new team responsible for long-term infrastructure capability planning, partnerships with suppliers, industry analysis, and business model creation. Previously, Gross co-founded an AI company called ‘Safe Superintelligence’ with former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever.

The third key executive is Meta’s President and Vice Chair, Dina Powell McCormick, who will coordinate with governments regarding Meta’s AI infrastructure construction, investment, financing, and implementation strategies.

Analysts note that as generative AI technology expands, there is intense global competition among tech companies to build strong cloud and data center capabilities. Major tech companies like Microsoft and Google are also making substantial investments in AI infrastructure. In this context, the ‘Meta Compute’ initiative could position Meta ahead in future AI competitions.