**Better to Risk Billions Than Fall Behind in AI: Zuckerberg**
*By Akash Pandey | Sep 19, 2025, 02:12 PM*
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that he is willing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, even if it means risking billions. Speaking on a recent episode of the Access podcast, Zuckerberg acknowledged the possibility of an AI bubble but stressed that the greater risk for Meta would be not moving aggressively enough in this transformative technology.
### The Bigger Risk: Missing Out on Superintelligence
Zuckerberg emphasized that falling behind in the race for superintelligence could be far more damaging than overspending by hundreds of billions of dollars. He warned that if a company proceeds too slowly and superintelligence arrives sooner than anticipated, it could find itself at a significant disadvantage. For Zuckerberg, AI represents the most important technology in history, one that drives new products, innovation, and immense value creation.
“The risk, at least for a company like Meta, is probably in not being aggressive enough rather than being somewhat too aggressive,” he remarked.
### Massive Financial Commitment: $600 Billion Investment by 2028
In line with his vision, Meta has committed to investing at least $600 billion in U.S. data centers and infrastructure through 2028. This pledge encompasses not only the buildout of Meta’s data centers but also investments in supporting U.S. business operations, including hiring new talent. Meta’s CFO, Susan Li, later clarified the scope of this ambitious financial commitment.
### A Balanced Approach: Slowing Hiring Amid AI Competition
Despite the massive infusion of capital, Meta is showing some caution. The company recently slowed its recruitment pace following a period of offering large signing bonuses to attract AI talent. This strategic adjustment comes as Wall Street closely monitors Meta’s labor expenses, with concerns that excessive stock-based compensation could dilute shareholder value if it does not translate into clear innovation gains.
### Business Sustainability: Confidence Amid Competition
Zuckerberg contrasted Meta’s stable financial position with other AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, which rely heavily on continuous fundraising to cover their substantial compute costs. He assured stakeholders, “We’re not at risk of going out of business,” pointing out that these startups’ futures hinge not only on AI breakthroughs but also broader economic conditions.
### Focus on Superintelligence: Concentrating Top Talent
To prepare for the arrival of superintelligence, Meta has organized a small, flat “superintelligence” lab focused exclusively on frontier AI research. This structure allows researchers to operate without top-down deadlines, reflecting the exploratory nature of their work. Additionally, Zuckerberg highlighted Meta’s strategy of making “compute per researcher” a competitive advantage by outspending rivals on GPUs and custom infrastructure essential for advanced AI development.
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Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment underscores Meta’s belief that bold investment in AI is critical to maintaining technological leadership and driving the next wave of innovation. As the race for superintelligence intensifies, Meta is positioning itself to be at the forefront of this revolutionary shift.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/risking-billions-on-ai-is-worth-the-gamble-zuckerberg/story
