ByteDance raises 2026 AI infrastructure spending plan to over 200 billion yuan, increasing reliance on Chinese chips

ByteDance is raising its planned AI infrastructure spending for 2026 to over 200 billion yuan (roughly $30 billion), at least a 25 percent increase over an earlier plan of 160 billion yuan.

The company is increasingly turning to Chinese chips to reduce geopolitical risks and expanding infrastructure abroad, including a $25 billion project in Thailand and an additional $1.2 billion data center in Finland.

The spending remains modest compared to US tech giants: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are collectively planning around $725 billion in AI spending for 2026.