Zuckerberg says Meta weighed up to $200 billion in AI spending before models were proven

Mark Zuckerberg said Meta considered AI investments of $100 billion to $200 billion before its new models had demonstrated their capabilities. His comments, released October 12, described discussions at the end of 2025 rather than a newly announced spending commitment.

Speaking alongside Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang, Zuckerberg recalled asking whether the technology would succeed while executives weighed the enormous expense. He described the difficulty of committing money to infrastructure before knowing how well the models would perform.

Zuckerberg said data centers require investment years ahead of their use. In his account, waiting for proof that a model works would leave the company behind. The remarks explain the uncertainty surrounding Meta's spending decisions, rather than establish a precise new budget.

The discussion coincided with Meta's release of Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full. Meta plans to expand access to Muse Wonder through its personal assistant, starting with subscribers.