Meta’s Ambitious Plans for Artificial Intelligence

Meta’s Big Bet on Artificial Intelligence

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has been touting the importance of artificial intelligence (A.I.) for the company’s future growth. In 2025, he plans to put his money where his mouth is, with a significant investment in data centers and A.I. infrastructure.

A Huge Investment in Data Centers

Meta expects to spend between $60 to $65 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, a significant increase from the $38 to $40 billion spent in 2024. Much of this amount will be used to build and expand data centers, massive buildings that provide the computing power needed for Meta’s A.I. products and algorithms across its apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

A.I. at the Forefront

Mr. Zuckerberg emphasized that this is a "massive effort" that will drive the company’s core products and business, unlock historic innovation, and extend American technology leadership. He noted that the company expects to own over 1.3 million graphics processing units (GPUs) by the end of the year, which are essential for A.I. systems.

Hiring and Expansion

Despite recent layoffs and cutbacks, Mr. Zuckerberg plans to continue hiring "significantly" to grow the teams responsible for working on A.I. and related products. This shows that Meta is committed to building a strong team to support its A.I. ambitions.

The Infrastructure Arms Race

The tech giants are engaged in an infrastructure arms race, with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon all earmarking billions of dollars for data centers and infrastructure projects. This competition is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Government Support

President Trump has announced a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle called Stargate, which aims to invest at least $100 billion in U.S. data centers. The group behind the project said it could invest as much as half a trillion dollars in Stargate over the next four years. However, Elon Musk, who runs a competing A.I. start-up, has cast doubt on this figure.

Conclusion

Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement marks a significant shift in Meta’s approach to A.I. and data centers. With a huge investment in infrastructure and a commitment to hiring more talent, Meta is set to play a major role in the future of A.I.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Meta’s plan for A.I. in 2025?
A: Meta plans to invest heavily in data centers and A.I. infrastructure, with a commitment to hiring more talent.

Q: How much is Meta planning to spend on capital expenditures in 2025?
A: Meta expects to spend between $60 to $65 billion on capital expenditures in 2025.

Q: What is the purpose of the data centers?
A: The data centers will provide the computing power needed for Meta’s A.I. products and algorithms across its apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Q: What is the goal of President Trump’s Stargate project?
A: The Stargate project aims to invest at least $100 billion in U.S. data centers and potentially as much as half a trillion dollars over the next four years.

One hundred years on from its humble beginnings in Germany, creating added value for customers through innovation has been the driving force behind the family-owned company from the very beginning and remains the key to industrial automation specialist Festo’s success today.

With its constant determination to make people’s work easier and thus increase efficiency, Festo has shaped an entire era of industrial production.

Today, the company is a global player and a front runner in automation technology, as well as a world leader in technical education and training. Festo’s anniversary is being celebrated with employees, customers, and partners worldwide throughout the year.

From the very beginning, Festo has focused on innovation, responsibility, and the future. And it is the people who still make all the difference.

“Festo is the work of many hands” – this saying of the company’s founder Gottlieb Stoll is still the guiding principle for management and staff worldwide.

In 1925, he and Albert Fezer founded the company Fezer & Stoll for woodworking machines in Esslingen am Neckar. Albert Fezer left the company shortly afterwards, and Gottlieb Stoll continued to run the company on his own.

The second generation of owners laid the foundation for the company as it is now. Dr H. C. Kurt Stoll brought the idea of pneumatics from the USA to Germany in 1950 and, as a pioneer in his father’s company, developed it further. This marked the start of pneumatics at Festo and paved the way for its use in factory automation.

Internationalisation played a vital role in the ongoing development of Festo. Dr Wilfried Stoll concentrated on developing the international markets and establishing national companies.

In 2000, the owners separated the power tools division from the rest of the company and established it as an independent company under the name Festool GmbH.

Education a key theme

Lifelong learning is firmly rooted in the corporate culture at Festo. This is because successful companies need people who understand, develop, and can apply technologies.

Training and developing competencies are thus fundamental success factors for a flourishing workforce. That is why Festo Didactic was established as a worldwide, independent division as early as 1965.

The inventive spirit of Dr Wilfried Stoll and Dr Stoll, their holistic thinking and approach, and their positive customer-oriented perspective have had a lasting impact on the company.

Today, Festo is one of the leading automation companies worldwide and, with Festo Didactic, the world market leader in technical education and training.

Uncle Festo says ‘Thank you’

Thomas Böck, member of the management board, Festo: “In 2025, we want to say thank you to our customers, partners, and employees and celebrate this unforgettable anniversary with them.”

Anniversary activities will take place throughout the year, both in Germany and in the more than 60 Festo companies worldwide – with “thank you” parties for employees, school days for the young talents of tomorrow, customer events, and press events.

For representatives of the press and visitors who are enthusiastic about technology, the world’s leading industrial fair, the Hannover Messe, will have a special highlight in store.

Böck says: “The project is still top secret. What we can say is that it showcases our wide range of skills, our broad expertise, our passion for innovation, and our aspiration to make the impossible possible.”

Definitive boost

The Hannover Messe will be a strong start, and that momentum will continue throughout the year. There will be, for example, worldwide “Innovation Days”, where Festo will use a new format to share future trends, technologies, and innovations with customers and partners.

Thomas Böck says: “In our anniversary year, we are very much looking to the future since we see it as our responsibility to use our innovations in automation and technical education to help solve the most pressing challenges facing industry and society, and to play a key role in driving industrial transformation as a solution provider.”

In the future, topics such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, biologisation, and the circular economy will give automation a new boost and, in addition, inspire future generations. Festo will be making a considerable contribution to moving these developments forward.

Guiding principle

The anniversary will also be the kick-off for an ongoing company-wide initiative to strengthen Festo’s guiding principle of social responsibility for sustainable development.

Böck says: “Our Corporate Citizenship Program underscores our belief that companies should not only pursue economic goals, but also play a significant part in society.”

As part of the program, all 20,000 employees worldwide can spend one day working on a charitable initiative.

Böck says: “This anniversary is not only a cause for celebration, but also a reminder of what is possible with solidarity, trust, passion, quality, and innovation. Together, we look ahead with confidence to a promising future.”

• Main image: The Management Board of Festo SE in its anniversary year (from left to right)
  Dr. Sebastian Beck, Member of the Management Board Finance and Human Resources
  Dr. Ansgar Kriwet, Member of the Management Board Research and Development
  Dr. Jaroslav Patka, Member of the Management Board Operations
  Thomas Böck, Chairman of the Management Board
  Frank Notz, Member of the Management Board Sales
  Grhard Borho, Member of the Management Board Information Technology and Digitalisation

When it comes to movies buzzing with Oscar potential, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist is a standout this awards season.

The visually stunning drama transports viewers to the post-World War II era, unravelling the story of László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Tóth, a fictional Hungarian-Jewish architect, starts over in the United States after being forced to leave his family behind as he emigrates.

Beyond its vintage allure, something modern brews in the background: the use of AI. Specifically, AI was employed to refine Brody’s and co-star Felicity Jones’ Hungarian pronunciation. The decision has sparked lively debates about technology’s role in film-making.

The role of AI in The Brutalist

According to Dávid Jancsó, the film’s editor, the production team turned to Respeecher, an AI software developed by a Ukrainian company, to tweak the actors’ Hungarian dialogue. Speaking to RedShark News (as cited by Mashable SEA), Jancsó explained that Hungarian – a Uralic language known for its challenging sounds – was a significant hurdle for the actors, despite their talent and dedication.

Respeecher’s software isn’t magic, but just a few years ago, it would have seemed wondrous. It creates a voice model based on a speaker’s characteristics and adjusts specific elements, like pronunciation. In this case, it was used to fine-tune the letter and vowel sounds that Brody and Jones found tricky. Most of the corrections were minimal, with Jancsó himself providing some replacement sounds to preserve the authenticity of the performances. "Most of their Hungarian dialogue has a part of me talking in there," he joked, emphasizing the care taken to maintain the actors’ original delivery.

Respeecher: AI behind the scenes

The is not Respeecher’s first foray into Hollywood. The software is known for restoring iconic voices like that of Darth Vader for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and has recreated Edith Piaf’s voice for an upcoming biopic. Outside of film, Respeecher has helped to preserve endangered languages like Crimean Tatar.

For The Brutalist, the AI tool wasn’t just a luxury – it was a time and budget saver. With so much dialogue in Hungarian, manually editing every line would have required painstaking, manual work. Jancsó said that using AI sped up the process significantly, an important factor given the film’s modest $10 million budget.

Beyond voice: AI’s other roles in the film

AI was also used in other aspects of the production process, used for example to generate some of Tóth’s architectural drawings and complete buildings in the film’s Venice Biennale sequence. However, director Corbet has clarified that these images were not fully AI-generated; instead, the AI was used for specific background elements.

Corbet and Jancsó have been candid about their perspectives on AI in film-making. Jancsó sees it as a valuable tool, saying, "There’s nothing in the film using AI that hasn’t been done before. It just makes the process a lot faster." Corbet added that the software’s purpose was to enhance authenticity, not replace the actors’ hard work.

A broader conversation

The debate surrounding AI in the film industry isn’t new. From script-writing to music production, concerns about generative AI’s impact were central to the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Although agreements have been reached to regulate the use of AI, the topic remains a hot-button issue.

Conclusion

The Brutalist awaits a possible Oscar nomination. From its story line to its cinematic style, the film wears its ambition on its sleeve. It’s not just a celebration of the postwar Brutalist architectural movement, it’s also a nod to classic American cinema. Shot in the rarely used VistaVision format, the film captures the grandeur of mid-20th-century film-making. Adding to its nostalgic charm, it includes a 15-minute intermission during its epic three-and-a-half-hour runtime.

Yet the use of AI has given a new dimension to the ongoing conversation about AI in the creative industry. Whether people see AI as a betrayal of craftsmanship or an exciting innovative tool that can add to a final creation, one thing is certain: AI continues to transform how stories are delivered on screen.

FAQs

Q: What is Respeecher?
A: Respeecher is an AI software developed by a Ukrainian company that creates a voice model based on a speaker’s characteristics and adjusts specific elements, like pronunciation.

Q: How was AI used in The Brutalist?
A: AI was used to refine the Hungarian pronunciation of Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, as well as to generate some of the film’s architectural drawings and complete buildings in the Venice Biennale sequence.

Q: What are the benefits of using AI in film-making?
A: AI can speed up the production process, save time and budget, and enhance authenticity.

Q: What are the concerns about AI in film-making?
A: Some people see AI as a betrayal of craftsmanship, while others see it as an exciting innovative tool that can add to a final creation.

Article

A Conversation with Bethany McLean, Nate Silver, and Frank Bruni

The Unlikely Alliance between Trump and Musk

Frank Bruni: Bethany, Nate, we gather to ponder what is arguably, at this moment, the most consequential and combustible partnership in President Trump’s life. No, not him and Melania. Not him and Mike Johnson. Him and his beloved (for now!) ambassador to Mars, Elon Musk. What, in a nutshell, does their relationship tell us about Trump, his presidency, and this moment in America?

The Quest for Power and Profit

Bethany McLean: Musk is just one of the C.E.O.s who are racing to cater to Trump. It tells us that right now, in today’s America, no one knows what anyone really believes or stands for, other than money. There are a lot of dangerous elements in this, both between C.E.O.s, between C.E.O.s and Trump, and between them and all of us. It’s nice to believe that unleashing growth benefits all of us, but can growth be unleashed? And if so, who does it benefit?

The Rise of the Oligarchs

Nate Silver: I saw a lot of criticism when Joe Biden invoked the term "oligarchy" in his farewell address — but the richest man in the world is now also one of the most politically powerful men in the world, if he wasn’t already. And the optics of the inauguration made clear that other very rich men will also be dealt into the hand — so long as they play by Trump’s rules. However, it’s not a completely one-sided deal. The "tech bro" side winning the fight with the MAGA side over skilled immigration is significant.

The Shape of Things to Come

Frank Bruni: So, Nate, what does Trump get in return — and will it come with headaches and grief he’s not anticipating? Will he regret his oligarchy and rue his bros?

A Conversation Unfolds

The Department of Government Efficiency

Nate Silver: Trump gains a lot of financial resources, for one thing. Musk’s donations to Trump-backing super PACs will encourage other billionaires to play along — especially since it seems to have already produced an extremely high return on investment in terms of Musk’s net worth. Silicon Valley also brought Trump a certain cultural relevance and a permission structure for new voters (and perhaps just as important, wealthy donors in other industries) to come into the Trump coalition.

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma

Bethany McLean: I worry most that what Musk has called the Department of Government Efficiency will be inherently corrupt, by which I mean that it will deliver favors to those with power and pain to those without it. That has the potential to be combustible for Musk and Trump — Trump’s tolerance for voters’ pain may be very different than Musk’s — but it also may mean that we all feel very betrayed.

The Kennel of Alphas

Frank Bruni: Bethany, Trump revels in being the most powerful man on the planet, demands constant attention, is never wrong, values people in proportion to their obsequiousness, and lords over a social media platform (Truth Social) made in his likeness. Musk revels in being the richest man alive, seems intent on being the most feared and talked-about as well, and lords over a social media platform (Twitter-cum-X) transformed in his likeness. How soon does this kennel of only alphas become a dogfight? And what might prompt it, and what does it look like?

The Rise of the Oligarchs (Part 2)

Nate Silver: Silicon Valley’s right wing turned on Trump when I was working on my book. I never got to speak with Musk, but I did talk with most other principals (such as Marc Andreessen and Sam Altman). There are a lot of factors behind it, but two big buckets. On the one hand, you can read it as straightforward, self-interested politics. The Biden administration went hard after Big Tech under Lina Khan, and Silicon Valley wants lower taxes and fewer regulations. It’s not like business interests aligning with the Republican Party is a shock over the broader arc of American history.

Conclusion

The Future of Politics and Business

Frank Bruni: Moving on, though, to some more paradoxes and points of looming tension: Musk attained his greatest fame and riches through Tesla, which makes electric vehicles. Trump expressly demonized electric vehicles in his Inaugural Address, elevated gas-powered cars, and shouted "Drill, baby, drill." How does all that shake out? How does Musk persevere with the MAGA faithful, who rather like their fossil fuels?

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma (Again)

Bethany McLean: That will matter only if it matters in practical, monetary terms. If Trump is hollering "Drill, baby, drill," and that doesn’t affect Musk’s business interests, I’m not sure he’ll care. If, on the other hand, Trump wants to slash the subsidies other car makers have to pay Tesla, then there will be an issue. That’s where Musk’s self-interest might slam into the reality of gutting rules and regulations, and then you’ll have a big break between the two. Is it also helpful to specify that Trump might have done himself no favors, other than the financial ones — which might be what matter to him most — with the launch of his coin? It’s caused a somewhat quiet schism in the industry. This will be an interesting first test.

The Future of A.I. and Energy

Nate Silver: I think the equation has changed because A.I. is a very energy-intensive industry.

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma (Again, Again)

Bethany McLean: That’s such a good point, Nate. When it was in Musk’s financial interest to be anti-fossil fuels in order to promote the sale of E.V.s, he was. But now that he is in the A.I. business and it is demanding so much energy from basically every source available, will he still be anti-fossil fuels?

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma (Again, Again)

Conclusion and FAQs

The Conversation Continues

What’s Next for the Oligarchs?

How Will the Oligarchs Shape the Future?

What’s the Fate of the Department of Government Efficiency?

What’s the Future of A.I. and Energy?

What’s the Takeaway from the Conversation?

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma (Yet Again)

The Conversation Continues

The Oligarchs’ Dilemma (Again, Again, Again)