Meta to invest $145B in 2026 for AI amid scrutiny
Meta just bumped up its spending plans for 2026, now aiming to invest as much as $145 billion, mostly to push forward in artificial intelligence.
This move comes while the company faces growing pressure from US and European regulators worried about how its platforms might affect kids' mental health.
Even with these challenges, Meta's business is holding strong: first-quarter revenue hit $56.3 billion (better than expected), and the second quarter could reach up to $61 billion.
Meta plans layoffs, faces US lawsuits
To keep things running efficiently, Meta is planning more internal restructuring, including layoffs later this year.
The company had nearly 78,000 employees in March, already down from last quarter.
At the same time, Meta is dealing with a wave of lawsuits in the US over claims that its apps are harming young people's mental well-being, a sign that its big AI push comes at a complicated moment.