Meta continues to accelerate its investments in artificial intelligence with the announcement of the construction of a vast data center in Alberta. Valued at US$9 billion, this project will be the group's first in Canada and its largest outside the United States.
The future site, which will cover nearly 270,000 square meters, was unveiled in Calgary by Gary Demasi, Meta's data center development manager. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hailed it as one of the largest private investments ever made in the country.
A global race for artificial intelligence
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp is ramping up its spending to bolster its computing power and catch up with Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Meta plans to invest up to $145 billion by 2026, primarily in its AI infrastructure.
This expansion, however, is fueling criticism from environmentalists. Data centers are regularly singled out for their high electricity and water consumption. Several local authorities have already begun considering regulations for them, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling on industry players to reduce their environmental footprint and prioritize renewable energy sources.
