Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has announced a massive plan to build some of the world’s largest data centres for artificial intelligence (AI). According to founder Mark Zuckerberg, Meta will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on these new AI-focused facilities over the next few years.
One of the first centres, named Prometheus, will be built in New Albany, Ohio, and is expected to start working in 2026. Another centre, called Hyperion, will be located in Louisiana and may become fully operational by 2030. Zuckerberg said each of these centres will be massive—one will cover an area as large as Manhattan in New York City.
Meta is investing heavily in what it calls “superintelligence” — advanced AI that can perform tasks better than humans. To power this technology, the company needs huge clusters of servers that require a lot of electricity and water to run and stay cool.
AI data centres are known for their large environmental impact. A single AI query (like asking ChatGPT a question) can use as much water as a small bottled drink. Some studies predict AI data centres could use 1.7 trillion gallons of water worldwide by 2027.
Despite the high cost, Meta’s move seems to be boosting investor confidence. The company’s stock rose by 1% after the announcement and is already up over 20% this year.
Experts say Zuckerberg is aiming to lead the global AI race by building powerful data centres and hiring top AI talent with access to cutting-edge technology.
Meta earned over \$160 billion in 2024, mostly through online advertising, which is helping fund this bold AI plan.
