Analysts use discounted cash flow models to value companies. These models rely heavily on future cash flows and a "terminal value" which is how much the business is worth beyond the forecast period. For big tech companies investing big money into AI, that terminal number can look great, because they stand to benefit from their investments in the technology longer term.
As I'm here in Africa, I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent. Further replying to a user's query on the insurance of the satellite, the very irked Zuckerberg quipped, The problem isn't the money; it's that now it may take longer to connect people.
This year, Mark Zuckerberg is planning to write the kind of corporate check that can change a company's personality. On Wednesday, Meta $META delivered a monster quarter - about $59.9 billion in revenue and $8.88 in EPS - and then budgeted 2026 like it plans to buy the future in bulk: $115 billion to $135 billion in capex, plus expenses heading toward $169 billion, as Meta keeps working to turn "superintelligence" into a procurement problem.
"We're starting to see projects that used to take big teams now be accomplished by a single, very talented person," he said. Already this year, Meta has laid off several hundred workers mainly in its Reality Labs division, a part of the company that focuses on its "metaverse" ambitions, hardware products and AI initiatives. Zuckerberg said Meta is investing more across the company in AI tools that help employees like software engineers complete more work.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse dreams seem to have been replaced by a new vision: an AI-generated social feed. In an earnings call on Wednesday, Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that AI will become the next big media format, making feeds "more immersive and interactive:" We started with text, and then moved to photos when we got phones with cameras, and then moved to video when mobile networks got fast enough. Soon, we'll see an explosion of new media formats that are more immersive and interactive, and only possible because of advances in AI.
For now, Meta will charge developers in Italy, where the country's competition watchdog asked the company to suspend its policy last December. The company said that the new pricing for non-template responses will begin on February 16. Meta plans to charge $0.0691/ €0.0572 / £0.0498 per message to developers for AI responses. This could result in steep bills for developers if users are exchanging thousands of queries with AI chatbots every day.
When one of the founders of modern AI walks away from one of the world's most powerful tech companies to start something new, the industry should pay attention. Yann LeCun's departure from Meta after more than a decade shaping its AI research is not just another leadership change. It highlights a deep intellectual rift about the future of artificial intelligence: whether we should continue scaling large language models (LLMs) or pursue systems that understand the world, not merely echo it.
Meta is preparing to trial a new wave of premium subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The paid tiers, expected to launch in the coming months, would unlock additional features including enhanced AI tools, while leaving the platforms' core services free to use. The move reflects Meta's continued experimentation with paid products as it looks to monetise power users without undermining scale.
The OpenAI CEO sent employees a message on Slack criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement - and appears to have taken the opportunity to also take a subtle jab at his rival, Mark Zuckerberg. The reference can be found where Altman wrote that OpenAI aims to "not get blown around by changing fashions." "We didn't start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular," Altman told employees.
TechCrunch says multiple approaches to packaging premium features are in the works, and that feature bundles will be made available across the three apps, with each bundle distinct from the others. Following the rollout of X's paid verification program, Meta introduced Meta Verified, which allowed users to pay $11.99-per-month for a verification badge and some added securityso it was for influencers and celebrities, basically.
Technology giant Meta is to trial premium subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp users in the coming months. The new offerings would give access to features including expanded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Under the plan, access to the platforms' core services would remain free to use. The firm also plans to test subscriptions for features, such as its Vibes video generation app, which the firm says "can bring your ideas to life with new AI visual creation tools".
Meta is being sued by Solos, a rival smart glasses maker, for infringing on its patents, Bloomberg reports. Solos is seeking "multiple billions of dollars" in damages and an injunction that could prevent Meta from selling its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses as part of the lawsuit. Solos claims that Meta's Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 1 smart glasses violate multiple patents covering "core technologies in the field of smart eyewear."
As the official social media services supplier for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Meta has got the ball rolling by drumming up early enthusiasm ahead of the tournament, opening the eyes of fans to the role technology can play in heightening their appreciation of the game. A campaign developed by BETC Paris, Havas Play and Unit9 uses the event to showcase what the metaverse can do, with Meta harnessing its full suite of apps from Facebook to Instagram and WhatsApp to thrust spectators on to the field in virtual and augmented reality.
More than half of all ads on Meta's Instagram ran in the service's short-form video Reels product in 2025, up from 35% in 2024, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. In the U.S., Reels accounted for 46% of time spent on the Instagram app in 2025, up from 37% in 2024, according to the data that Sensor Towered showed CNBC.
"If you are using the same suppliers, such as web hosting companies, as the majority of illegal websites, then you are helping to build the illegal market," he said. "And, if you are marketing your products through platforms, including social media, that also promote illegal online casinos, then you are helping to build the illegal market."
Indeed, Meta says that various legal cases in this area have " selectively cited Meta's internal documents to construct a misleading narrative," which suggests that Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have harmed teens, and that Meta has prioritized growth over their well-being.
Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses finally reached Indian shores late last year. Unlike the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, the Oakley Meta HSTN (referred to as how-stuhn) caters to a niche category of performance-focused users, such as athletes, sports enthusiasts, and techies who love to mix style and substance with the power of AI. Priced at Rs. 41,800, the Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses aren't for everyone, but they bring the magic, turning your boring eyewear into AI-enabled gear.
The UFC's own private venue in Las Vegas was originally designed to house The Ultimate Fighter, Dana White's Contender Series, and perhaps host some regional MMA shows. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, it became a godsend, allowing the promotion to continue hosting events in the face of a global shutdown, capturing the sports market at a time when all other leagues were on a pause.
