Meta Projects $1.4T AI Revenue by 2035
Meta has set bold expectations for its generative AI products, projecting revenue between $2 billion and $3 billion in 2025. By 2035, that number could surge to as much as $1.4 trillion, based on recently unsealed court documents. These figures came to light amid a lawsuit filed by a group of authors, who claim Meta used their copyrighted works without permission to train its AI models.
Although the filings don’t detail exactly what qualifies as a “generative AI product,” Meta’s activities suggest several possibilities. The tech giant earns income through revenue-sharing partnerships related to its Llama model family. Furthermore, it has launched an API that lets developers fine-tune and evaluate those models. During the latest earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg added that Meta AI, the company’s assistant, might eventually display ads or include a subscription model, offering premium features.
Soaring Investments and Legal Tensions
To support these AI ambitions, Meta is pouring significant capital into its AI divisions. In 2024 alone, the company dedicated over $900 million to its generative AI budget. For 2025, that number is expected to exceed $1 billion. Importantly, these figures don’t even include infrastructure costs, such as the expansive new data centers Meta is building. In total, capital expenditures for 2025 are forecasted at between $60 billion and $80 billion.
Interestingly, internal discussions from 2023 show that Meta considered spending $200 million on AI training data half of that earmarked for books. However, the company allegedly opted against licensing those materials, turning instead to unauthorized sources. Plaintiffs claim this decision led Meta to pirate ebooks at scale to build Llama’s capabilities.
Company Response and Looking Ahead
In response to the allegations, Meta has defended its actions. The company stated that its open AI models are driving innovation and creativity worldwide. According to the spokesperson, Meta strongly disagrees with the authors’ accusations and plans to “vigorously defend” its position. While the legal battle unfolds, Meta remains committed to expanding its AI offerings, banking on their central role in the company’s long-term growth.
