Meta Platforms, Inc. has decided to increase spending on artificial intelligence in 2026. This will double the capital expenditure as Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg pushes the company’s superintelligence ambitions.

The plan reflects Meta’s firm belief that ‘advanced AI’ will define the next phase of its growth and support long-term product development.

Also Read: Behind Every AI Prompt Lies a Water Bill—Who’s Paying It?

2026 Capex Surge and Earnings Beat

Meta reported stronger-than-expected Q4 revenue, up about 24% year over year. The company has forecasted annual capital expenditures between $115-135 billion for 2026, up sharply from roughly $72 billion in 2025. The projected increase reflects investment in AI infrastructure, talent and data centres. Meta’s shares climbed in extended trading following the announcement.

The company also expects first-quarter revenue to surpass Wall Street estimates. Advertising performance remained a core revenue driver, helping bankroll the expanded spending plan. Meta is redirecting resources from some non-AI projects, including layoffs at its Reality Labs division, to support AI investment.

Also Read: India Now Leads the World in LLM Adoption: Bofa Report

Focus on AI, Superintelligence and Strategic Shift

Zuckerberg framed 2026 as a year of “major AI acceleration” with an emphasis on building personal superintelligence tools across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. He said ‘superintelligence’ is deeply personalised AI that can understand users’ context and deliver relevant experiences. To support this vision, Meta is expanding infrastructure, partnering with external cloud providers and hiring AI talent globally.

Meta’s shift aligns with the broader industry competition in advanced AI development. Meta’s strategic shift comes amid ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny of its platform practices.