Alexandra S. LevineJul 30, 2026 – 4.23pmSan Francisco | Meta Platforms has given a disappointing quarterly revenue forecast, stepping up pressure on chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to allay investor concerns that the company isn’t swiftly benefiting from its massive outlay on artificial intelligence.The social media giant on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) also reported the lowest free cash flow in years, a sign of ballooning expenses for AI bets, including data centres and smart glasses, which could amount to $US145 billion ($208.5 billion) this year.BloombergSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Zuckerberg defends Meta’s AI bets as forecasts disappoint
Investors baulked earlier this year when the CEO increased projected expenditures on AI, and many of them question Meta’s heavy spending on virtual reality.
TL;DRAI
Meta reported disappointing forecast and lowest free cash flow in years amid $145B annual AI capex on infrastructure. Signals whether massive foundation-model infrastructure investments justify costs—pivotal for CTO budget and stack decisions.
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