Meta raises capital expenditure guidance to $125 billion–$145 billion for 2025 as Zuckerberg defends AI spending despite stock drop

Meta raised its capital expenditure range for this year to $125 billion to $145 billion. The company reported expenses of $33.4 billion in the quarter and a profit of $26.8 billion on revenue of $56.3 billion, topping forecasts, but shares dropped more than 6 percent.

Zuckerberg highlighted a new Muse Spark AI model built by Meta's Superintelligence Lab, saying its technology will be deployed in Meta's smartglasses and advertising system. He emphasized interest in 'agentic' AI (digital assistants that handle computer tasks independently), stating he wants to reach a quality bar high enough to give such agents to his mother.

Meta's AI investment is not directly tied to a revenue stream in the way Amazon, Microsoft, and Google sell AI-powered cloud services. Chief financial officer Susan Li warned analysts that Meta faces legal and regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe, including social media addiction lawsuits, which may result in material losses.