Tag: Meta

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Technology

Meta to spend $135 bn on AI in 2026

Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is planning a massive investment of up to $135 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) for 2026. This is almost double what the company spent on AI and technology last year, signaling a major push to develop advanced AI systems and infrastructure.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg called 2026 a “pivotal year” for AI, noting that the technology will reshape how Meta operates and interacts with users. The company plans to expand its data centers, buy cutting-edge chips, and hire top AI engineers, aiming to compete with rivals like Google and OpenAI.

Meta’s increased spending follows strong financial results in the fourth quarter of 2025, with revenue reaching nearly $60 billion. The company says its advertising revenue provides the resources needed for this ambitious AI expansion while keeping core business growth steady.

A key part of Meta’s AI strategy is talent acquisition. In 2025, the company hired Alexandr Wang, founder of AI data-labeling firm Scale AI, to lead the newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs. Wang’s team will focus on developing next-generation AI systems capable of performing complex tasks and advancing Meta’s AI capabilities to match or exceed industry leaders.

Alongside AI, Meta is scaling down its virtual reality and metaverse projects, including some staff cuts, to concentrate more resources on AI and AI-powered devices, such as smart glasses and other wearables.

By nearly doubling its capital expenditure for 2026, Meta is signaling a strategic shift toward AI, aiming to position itself at the forefront of the fast-growing AI sector. With investments in technology, talent, and infrastructure, the company is preparing for intense competition with other tech giants, while redefining its long-term focus from the metaverse to artificial intelligence.

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Technology

Meta to test paid perks on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, is preparing to test premium subscription plans across its flagship apps. The company says the move will allow users to access extra tools and AI-powered features, while keeping the core services free for everyone.

The plan is part of Meta’s broader effort to diversify revenue beyond advertising. Rather than a single universal package, each app will likely offer distinct premium bundles designed around how users interact with the platform. Meta hasn’t shared details on pricing, timing, or the markets where the tests will begin.

On Instagram, early reports suggest that premium subscribers could see features such as advanced audience insights, private Story viewing, and unlimited follower lists. These tools aim to help users and creators manage content and engagement more effectively. Meta also plans to integrate AI-based creative tools, letting subscribers generate content, create videos, and manage interactions more efficiently. Some of these AI features, currently free, may move to a freemium model, where basic access remains free but advanced options require a subscription.

Details for Facebook and WhatsApp remain limited. Meta says premium offerings for these apps may focus on productivity, messaging, and enhanced content creation. For WhatsApp, this could appeal to professional users and community managers, though specific tools are not yet confirmed.

These new subscription plans are separate from Meta Verified, the company’s existing paid service for identity verification, account protection, and support for creators. Meta will leverage lessons from Meta Verified to shape its broader premium strategy.

Industry experts note that while other platforms, like Snapchat and X, have found success with paid subscriptions, Meta faces the challenge of convincing billions of users, long accustomed to free access, that premium features are worth paying for. The company plans to monitor user feedback closely, adjusting offerings as needed before a potential full rollout.

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1 Minute-Read

Meta buys AI startup Manus to boost advanced AI

Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup originally founded in China, for over $2 billion.

Manus develops autonomous AI agents that handle tasks like research, coding, and data analysis with minimal prompts. Meta will integrate this technology into Meta AI, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while keeping Manus’s subscription services running.

The acquisition highlights Meta’s push to compete with OpenAI and Google in advanced AI development.

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Technology

Meta AI glasses get noise filter, Spotify play

Meta Platforms has released a major update for its AI-powered smart glasses, including Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN models. The v21 update is currently available in the US and Canada via Meta’s Early Access Program, with a wider rollout planned. The update brings two main features: Conversation Focus and Spotify integration, aimed at making the glasses more useful for everyday life.

Conversation Focus helps users hear people more clearly in noisy environments. Using the glasses’ built-in speakers and microphones, it isolates the voice of the person in front of the wearer while reducing background noise. Users can adjust the level of focus by swiping the right temple of the glasses or via settings, making it easier to talk in places like restaurants, trains, or crowded streets.

The update also integrates Spotify directly into the glasses. Users can now ask the AI to play music hands-free, and the system can even suggest songs based on what the wearer is looking at. For instance, saying “Hey Meta, play a song to match this view” while looking at a scene can trigger a playlist tailored to that environment, combining visual recognition with music recommendations.

The v21 update also expands voice command support in English and introduces regional language options. In India, Telugu and Kannada are now supported alongside English and Hindi, making the AI glasses more accessible to local users.

With these upgrades, Meta aims to make its smart glasses more practical for daily life, improving conversation clarity, hands-free music control, and personalised experiences. The update shows Meta’s focus on blending technology with real-world usability, making AI-powered glasses not just a gadget but a helpful companion for work, travel, and leisure.

The v21 update marks a step forward in Meta’s vision for smart eyewear, offering a mix of convenience, entertainment, and enhanced interaction in a compact device worn on the face. Users can expect a smoother experience with clearer audio, interactive music, and smarter AI features as Meta continues to refine its wearable technology.

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Corporate

Apple, Amazon, Meta oppose Jio-Vi 6 GHz auction

A new fault line has emerged in India’s digital landscape, with some of the world’s biggest technology companies urging caution just as Indian telecom operators push ahead. Apple, Amazon, Meta, Cisco and others have told TRAI that the 6 GHz band should not be handed over to mobile networks yet, arguing it is better used to strengthen India’s expanding Wi-Fi ecosystem.

Global tech majors submitted a joint response to TRAI’s spectrum consultation, challenging Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea’s push to auction the 6 GHz band for future 5G and 6G use. According to these companies, the upper portion of the band is not technically ready for mobile services and is still under evaluation internationally.

They want regulators to keep the 6425–7125 MHz range unlicensed for now, allowing wider, faster and more affordable Wi-Fi, something they say benefits consumers, small businesses and India’s digital economy more immediately than reallocating it to telecom operators.

Global players have also urged the government to revisit the band only after 2027, when the next World Radiocommunication Conference is expected to lay down clearer global norms for upper-6 GHz usage.

India has already delicensed 500 MHz in the lower 6 GHz band, while about 400 MHz is likely to be auctioned soon. However, Jio wants the entire 1,200 MHz opened for IMT services to support future network growth.

Telecom operators, represented by COAI, argue that delicensing more spectrum will weaken mobile network capacity, hurt long-term planning and reduce government auction revenues.

Chipmaker Qualcomm has echoed Big Tech’s stance, saying India should wait for global clarity before moving the upper 6 GHz band into mobile services.

With both sides presenting sharply different priorities, telcos pushing for future mobile capacity and tech giants backing robust public Wi-Fi, TRAI now faces the challenge of balancing immediate connectivity needs with longer-term spectrum strategy.

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