Sources: Meta is in talks to rent computing power from its data centers to Anthropic in a deal that could be worth ~$10B over two years
A deal would underline how scarce computing power is for artificial intelligence development, and could create a new business for Meta.
New York Times
Context & Ripple Effects
Meta’s reported discussions with Anthropic follow a broader shift in its infrastructure posture: it has been securing outside compute capacity while also planning to sell AI compute and models through a cloud business. The company’s earlier large-scale data-center ambitions and financing arrangements provide the supply-side backdrop for a potential customer-facing capacity deal.
For Anthropic, the talks would add Meta to the set of infrastructure counterparties it can potentially use for model training and deployment. For Meta, they would test whether its AI buildout can serve external demand as well as its own products.
First-order effects
If completed, the arrangement would give Anthropic contracted access to Meta-operated data-center compute, while creating a potential multibillion-dollar revenue stream for Meta over the reported two-year term.
Meta would move from being principally a buyer and builder of AI capacity to also acting as a supplier to a major AI-model developer.
Second-order effects
A Meta-Anthropic agreement could intensify competition for large AI-capacity contracts among cloud providers and specialized infrastructure operators, particularly where customers value access to already-built capacity.
External leasing could improve utilization of Meta’s infrastructure investments, while making capacity allocation between Meta’s internal AI workloads and outside customers a more consequential operating decision.
Third-order effects
If similar arrangements proliferate, AI compute may increasingly trade through a capacity market in which model developers mix hyperscaler clouds, specialist providers, and peer-operated data centers rather than relying on a single provider.
The pattern would further blur the line between consumer internet platforms and cloud infrastructure vendors, with financing and long-term capacity commitments becoming central to how AI infrastructure is built and monetized.
The trend: This is one data point in the platformization of scarce AI compute, as major technology companies seek to turn infrastructure built for internal AI workloads into external cloud capacity.
imo can be read a few ways: meta is “overbuilding” data centers somewhat now for the future, but it doesnt have the demand that Anthropic does, so it leases compute until/IF that demand comes later —SpaceX did the same (other read is meta giving up, but i highly doubt that)
@eric_seufert
Eric Seufert on x
Meta to lease compute to Anthropic for $10BN over 2 years, or roughly 18% of Q1 ad revenue. Reminder that Meta's ad revenue grew by 33% in Q1.
@patrickmoorhead
Patrick Moorhead on x
There's a long line of failed past $META B2B attempts. The past doesn't always dictate the future but it's a good signal the culture doesn't fit. Bringing a guy like Dave Brown in, similar to when Google brought in TK could be the difference-maker as long as they give Dave time…
@alexstamos
Alex Stamos on x
@Kantrowitz Meta is very good at infra. It lacks the software necessary to run a public cloud, but it certainly could rent capacity to one or two trusted customers.
@chrisgpt
Chris on x
META IS IN TALKS TO RENT ANTHROPIC UP TO $10 BILLION OF AI COMPUTE OVER TWO YEARS “We haven't done that yet because we think we have a use for the compute.” [...] Meta was criticized for potentially overbuilding AI infrastructure. Now that excess capacity could just be sold to …
@yonashav
Yo Shavit on x
it is striking to me that even without government mandated frontier ai industry compute consolidation, the market is just... doing it on its own
@garymarcus
Gary Marcus on x
basically this is meta shifting from frontier models to cloud provision, similar to xAI. scale is not all you need.
@_aidan_clark_
Aidan Clark on x
The labs are splitting into those that do anything to buy compute and those that do anything to sell compute. I'm surprised there seem to be just two of the former .... it's unsurprising those two are in the lead.
@mikeisaac
Rat King on x
News: Meta in early talks to sell computing power to Anthropic in what could be a $10 billion deal if such a move happens, it could mark the start of a cloud computing business for Meta as it faces investor pressure for its AI spending w/ @elitanjourno https://www.nytimes.com/...
@andrewcurran_
Andrew Curran on x
After Elon signed his compute-as-a-service deal with Anthropic, the question was who would Mark Zuckerberg back? We may have our answer. The NYT says Anthropic proposed the two year deal in June, META is considering it, and they are currently in discussions. [image]
@manan
@manan on x
I think this is a miss. Meta should take Kimi K3, undercut Grok, Claude, Sol and just become the number # 1 B2C model provider.
@_seandavid
Sean D. Emory on x
Possibly $10B deal with Anthropic for $META Imagine Core asset light business doing 30% growth. Core family of apps with 60% op margins. Muse Spark models catch no frontier Now leading lab TRUSTS Meta's infrastructure capabilities to potentially deploy up to $10B. What a [image]
@mikeisaac
Rat King on x
$145 billion dollar question is how many of Meta's GPUs are “dark,” meaning sitting built and unused because the demand for their data center buildout isn't there. they're spending heavily with a “field of dreams” thesis (old guy reference) but unclear if that demand will come
@nirave
@nirave on x
@MikeIsaac @elitanjourno The only real question: is this actual money or just the fake money that's being passed between AI companies without any real benefit other than to satiate investors by pumping their share price?
@sunflowermum
@sunflowermum on bluesky
This does not sound chill!? Data centres are no longer progress. They are water suckers (even when they try to use recyclables... for energy) [embedded post]
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Meta in Talks to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic in Potential $10 Billion Deal (Gift Article)
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Meta in Talks to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic in Potential $10 Billion Deal
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Ed called it. Meta in Talks to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic in Potential $10 Billion Deal.
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Meta in Talks to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic in Potential $10 Billion Deal
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Meta in Talks to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic in Potential $10 Billion Deal