Meta in talks to lease $10 billion of AI infrastructure to Anthropic
Proposed two-year arrangement would allow Meta to monetise unused computing capacity as it eyes competition with specialist providers like CoreWeave and Nebius.
Meta Platforms Inc is in preliminary discussions with Anthropic to lease up to $10 billion of computing capacity over a two-year period. The proposal, initiated by Anthropic in June, involves monthly payments for access to Meta’s infrastructure, with both parties retaining the right to exit early and final terms remaining subject to change.
A completed deal would represent a strategic shift for Meta, allowing it to monetise unused capacity and enter the AI cloud market. This move would position the social media giant closer to specialist AI cloud providers such as CoreWeave and Nebius, sectors that have seen intense demand for chips and data centre access.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated in May that entering cloud computing was “definitely on the table,” noting that companies approach Meta weekly regarding access to its models or spare computing power. The company has historically built vast computing capacity for its own AI ambitions without offering infrastructure as a service to external customers.
Anthropic is expanding its infrastructure footprint to support growing adoption of its Claude model and developer demand. The AI developer has secured capacity from multiple providers, including a separate agreement in May to use computing power from SpaceX’s Colossus 1 facility and a 20-year data centre lease with TeraWulf.
The talks coincide with Anthropic’s preparations for a potential public listing as early as October. Locking in additional capacity would give the company more room to train models and run inference ahead of a potential market debut, although the timeline for the listing remains uncertain.
Meta’s shares were trading at $646.01 U.S. at the time of reporting. The extent of Meta’s “unused capacity” available for leasing has not been quantified, and there is no guarantee the agreement will be finalised given the preliminary nature of the talks.
The potential deal highlights the rapid evolution of the AI infrastructure market, where major technology firms are increasingly looking to monetise their hardware investments. For Meta, a successful lease could transform its internal computing resources into a distinct revenue stream, competing directly with established cloud providers.
For Anthropic, securing long-term access to Meta’s infrastructure would complement its existing arrangements and support its growth trajectory as it prepares for a public offering. The outcome of these negotiations will likely influence broader market dynamics regarding AI compute availability and pricing.
As the technology sector continues to grapple with the high costs of AI development, strategic partnerships between model developers and infrastructure owners are becoming increasingly common. The Meta-Anthropic discussions underscore the growing commercialisation of AI computing resources.
