Meta May Have Found A New AI Business. Anthropic Is Reportedly Considering Paying Up To $10 Billion For Computing Power.

As the race to build larger and more powerful artificial intelligence systems accelerates, access to computing infrastructure has become one of the technology industry's most valuable commodities, with companies increasingly willing to spend billions of dollars to secure processing capacity.

Meta Platforms is in talks to lease computing power from its artificial intelligence data centers to Anthropic in a deal that could be worth as much as $10 billion over two years, according to people familiar with the discussions. The arrangement, if completed, would mark a significant shift for Meta, which has historically built infrastructure primarily for its own products and AI initiatives.

Anthropic approached Meta in June with the proposal, which would involve monthly payments over a two-year period, according to The New York Times. The publication reported that both companies would retain the ability to exit the agreement early under the terms currently under discussion.

The talks remain in the early stages and may not result in an agreement. Meta and Anthropic both declined to comment on the discussions, according to The New York Times.

The proposed deal underscores the increasing demand for computing power as technology companies expand their AI capabilities. Data centers equipped with advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) have become critical infrastructure for training and operating large language models, leading to a wave of spending across the sector.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously said the company expects to spend as much as $145 billion this year, much of it tied to artificial intelligence initiatives and supporting infrastructure. That figure would represent more than double the approximately $72 billion Meta spent last year.

Anthropic has been actively securing access to computing resources from multiple providers. In May, the company signed a three-year agreement with SpaceX valued at approximately $45 billion for computing capacity. The arrangement equates to roughly $1.25 billion in monthly payments and similarly includes provisions allowing either party to terminate the agreement early.

The latest discussions come amid an unprecedented buildout of AI infrastructure across the technology industry. Companies including Meta, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have collectively committed hundreds of billions of dollars toward constructing data centers and purchasing advanced semiconductors.

Earlier this year, Meta announced plans for several large-scale data center projects across the United States as it seeks to support its Llama family of AI models and broader AI ambitions, according to Reuters. The company has increasingly emphasized infrastructure investments as competition among major AI developers intensifies.

Anthropic, meanwhile, has emerged as one of OpenAI's largest competitors and has secured backing from several major technology companies. Amazon has invested billions in the startup and provides cloud infrastructure support through Amazon Web Services, while Google has also invested in the company, according to CNBC.

The value of computing capacity has become increasingly apparent as governments and companies alike compete for access to advanced chips. Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced additional measures aimed at strengthening domestic semiconductor production and maintaining the United States' lead in advanced technologies, according to Reuters. Those efforts have coincided with ongoing export restrictions on advanced chips destined for China.