Meta Stock Gains As Zuckerberg Pledges 'Hundreds Of Billions' For AI Superintelligence Push

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms is committing to invest "hundreds of billions" in AI infrastructure to develop AI superintelligence, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg [1][2]. Investment Plans - The investment will primarily focus on building large data centers to train AI large language models, with plans to create several data center clusters that will exceed a gigawatt of power [2]. - Meta aims to launch a 1 gigawatt "supercluster" data center, making it the first company to do so, according to a report from SemiAnalysis [2]. Data Center Development - Zuckerberg announced the construction of multiple multi-gigawatt (GW) clusters, including the first one named Prometheus, expected to be operational by 2026, and another named Hyperion, which can scale up to 5GW over several years [3]. - These data centers will be significant in size, with one cluster covering a substantial area comparable to a significant part of Manhattan [3]. Recruitment and Acquisitions - Meta has been actively recruiting top researchers from competitors, offering over $100 million to attract talent for its AI superintelligence lab [4]. - The company has also invested $14.3 billion in the startup Scale AI, with its CEO joining Meta's new AI research lab [4]. - Additionally, Meta acquired Play.AI, a startup focused on voice generation, further expanding its AI capabilities [5]. Financial Outlook - Meta plans to spend approximately $68 billion in capital expenditures this year, a significant increase from $39.2 billion in 2024 [5]. - Analysts are optimistic about Meta's potential to leverage AI to enhance user engagement and advertising sales across its platforms [6]. Stock Performance - Meta's stock has increased by 24% this year, outperforming other major tech stocks, and currently holds an IBD Composite Rating of 97 out of a possible 99 [6][7].