Meta Platforms has just announced plans to sharply increase investment in data centers in El Paso, Texas (USA), to 10 billion USD. This move shows the ambition to expand the AI infrastructure of the social network giant, despite pressure from personnel cuts and recent legal issues.
According to the announcement, the new investment is more than 6 times higher than the 1.5 billion USD commitment made in October last year.
The data center in El Paso is expected to reach a capacity of 1 gigawatt before going into operation in 2028. This will be Meta's 29th facility globally and the company's third data center in Texas.
Meta's move takes place in the context that technology giants such as Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft are also promoting AI infrastructure investment.
Analysts estimate that total spending on this sector this year could exceed 630 billion USD, showing the increasing scale of competition.
In addition to technology goals, the project in El Paso also brings significant economic impacts. Meta said the data center will create about 300 jobs when it comes into operation, while the peak construction phase can mobilize more than 3,000 workers.
In addition, the company also committed to adding more than 5,000 megawatts of clean energy to the Texas power grid, and cooperating with non-profit organizations to improve water resources for the region.
However, this expansion plan takes place at an unfavorable time for Meta. The company has just cut hundreds of personnel in many departments, amid reports that the scale of layoffs could affect more than 20% of the workforce.
Along with that, two recent legal rulings holding Meta responsible for negative impacts on young users have caused the company's stock to fall.
These developments raise concerns that Meta may have to adjust its product and advertising model, which is its main revenue platform.
However, the strong investment in AI infrastructure shows that Meta is still betting heavily on the future of technology, considering this as the key to maintaining its position in global competition.
