Meta eyes cloud computing entry as AI infrastructure spending hits $125-$145 billion

Mark Zuckerberg says a Meta cloud computing business 'definitely on the table'

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles after defending the company in a landmark social media addiction trial, Feb. 19, 2026. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company could enter the cloud computing market if it overspends on data centers and ends up with excess capacity. "it's definitely on the table," Zuckerberg said on Wednesday at Meta's annual shareholder meeting, in response to a question about potentially competing with Amazon and Microsoft in cloud computing. Zuckerberg reiterated comments made on an earnings call last year, noting that "almost every week there are different companies that come to us from outside asking us to both stand up an API service or asking if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium to what we've bought it at." Of the four giant hyperscalers in the U.S. Meta is the only one that doesn't have a cloud infrastructure and services business. Meanwhile, Meta's spending to fuel artificial intelligence development is right up there with its rivals. In April, Meta raised its 2026 guidance for AI-related capital expenditures to between $125 billion and $145 billion, up from a prior range of $115 billion to $135 billion. Meta shares sank 7% despite better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, underscoring concern about the company's hefty AI spending. Zuckerberg is reminding Wall Street that it has the ability to rent out some of its computing resources. "We haven't done that yet because we think that we have a use for the compute," Zuckerberg said Wednesday. "Obviously if we get to a point where we feel that we have overbuilt, then that is an option that we have, and that is partially what gives us confidence in investing in building this out." Zuckerberg also discussed the company's plans involving AI-powered personal assistants, an effort he briefly detailed in an April earnings call after the debut of Meta's Muse Spark AI model. "People will be more important in the future, not less, and as people inevitably want to get more out of these agents, there will be an opportunity to charge for premium or high compute versions," Zuckerberg said. Although Meta offers businesses some AI-related features on WhatsApp, those services are currently free. Zuckerberg said the company is working at "establishing a longer-term monetization model as well." Separately on Wednesday, Meta revealed that it will begin testing monthly subscription services for its Meta AI app and website, marking the first time the company will charge users for AI features. The Meta AI subscription plans will cost either $7.99 or $19.99 a month, depending on certain features, and will initially be available in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia. Zuckerberg said at last year's shareholder meeting that as Meta AI improves, the company could offer "a subscription service so that people can pay to use more compute."

Meta cloud computing business 'definitely on the table', Mark Zuckerberg says - excess data center capacity could be used to enter the market

* A Meta-owned cloud business would be "definitely on the table" * Continued data center expansion will fuel the firm's ongoing AI efforts * All compute is allocated, but any future surplus could be sold on to customers At its annual shareholders' meeting, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that a cloud business could be "definitely on the table" as the company continues to build out its data center footprint to support AI programs. If Meta were to go down the cloud computing route, it would have to go up against very established hyperscalers. Amazon's business already occupies a third of the market, and Microsoft and Google jointly own another third. Zuckerberg ultimately noted that, if Meta ends up with a surplus of compute infrastructure as part of its ongoing AI efforts, it could sell or rent that extra capacity to external customers. Meta would consider selling excess compute via a cloud business "Almost every week there are different companies that come to us from outside asking us to both stand up an API service or asking if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium to what we've bought it at," he added. Although the company doesn't currently sell cloud to customers, it continues to spend big on artificial intelligence. AI-related capex for 2026 is now estimated to be between $125 billion and $145 billion. That's only a touch behind the capex estimates of Google parent company Alphabet ($175 billon to $185 billion), Microsoft ($190 billion) and Amazon ($200 billion). Zuckerberg explained the reason that Meta hasn't launched its own cloud compute yet is that it currently has a use for all of the capacity it's set to build, but that the company has confidence in continued investments because if it weren't to use all of that capacity, it could ultimately sell it on to customers. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.