Zuckerberg dismissed speculation that Meta’s AI spending could see a decline after DeepSeek’s revelations. The Chinese AI lab, linked to hedge fund High-Flyer, recently claimed it developed the R1 large language model in just two months with an investment of under $6 million. This announcement sent shockwaves through the tech industry, causing Nvidia’s stock to plummet by 17% amid fears that companies may require fewer high-powered GPUs for AI development.
Key Highlights:
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that it’s too early to determine the full impact of DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough on the company and the broader tech industry.
- Despite claims that DeepSeek’s model requires significantly less investment and computing power, Meta has no plans to reduce its AI spending.
- Zuckerberg reaffirmed the company’s commitment to heavy investments in infrastructure, considering it a long-term strategic advantage.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it clear on Wednesday that the company’s aggressive AI investments will continue, despite the buzz surrounding DeepSeek’s recent breakthrough in artificial intelligence.
Speaking on Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg emphasized that it’s premature to make definitive conclusions about how DeepSeek’s advancements might impact AI infrastructure and capital expenditures.
“It’s probably too early to really have a strong opinion on what this means for the trajectory around infrastructure and CapEx,” he said. “There are a bunch of trends that are happening here all at once.”
Despite the disruptive potential of DeepSeek’s approach, Meta remains committed to its AI roadmap, announcing plans to invest between $60 billion and $65 billion in AI this year. The company also projected total expenses for 2025 to be between $114 billion and $119 billion.
While acknowledging DeepSeek’s innovation, Zuckerberg pointed out that having extensive server power remains essential for delivering high-quality AI services at scale. Meta, which reported 3.35 billion daily active users in the fourth quarter, needs significant computing power to support its AI initiatives.
“It’s going to be expensive for us to serve all of these people because we are serving a lot of people,” Zuckerberg noted.
He also highlighted that Meta will continue to learn from DeepSeek’s advancements and incorporate valuable insights into its own AI models. The company remains committed to open-source AI with the release of its Llama models, ensuring industry-wide progress.
“I continue to think that investing very heavily in CapEx and infra is going to be a strategic advantage over time,” Zuckerberg reiterated. “It’s possible that we’ll learn otherwise at some point, but I just think it’s way too early to call that.”
Zuckerberg also suggested that DeepSeek’s rise supports Meta’s open-source AI philosophy. He emphasized the importance of establishing a globally recognized open-source AI standard, ensuring that the U.S. maintains leadership in AI development.
“There’s going to be an open-source standard globally,” he stated. “For our own national advantage, it’s important that it’s an American standard.”
Despite the growing competition in AI, Meta remains steadfast in its strategy, believing that substantial infrastructure investments will be a defining advantage in the long run.