Meta Targets 'Personal Superintelligence' Amid Massive AI Infrastructure Pivot

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is accelerating its transition toward an AI-centric ecosystem, reporting a 24% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter revenue to $59.9 billion. This growth represents an acceleration from the 22% growth seen over the full year, supported by a daily active user base that reached 3.58 billion in December, up 7% annually. The social media giant is pivoting toward what CEO Mark Zuckerberg describes as 'personal superintelligence,' a vision of AI that understands individual user context and relationships. To realize this ambition, Meta is planning a staggering increase in capital investment. Capital expenditures, which totaled $72.2 billion in 2025, are projected to surge to between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026. Management's outlook for the first quarter remains aggressive, with revenue guidance set between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion. The midpoint of this range implies roughly 30% year-over-year growth, though approximately four percentage points of this is attributed to foreign exchange tailwinds. Even adjusted for currency, the growth rate of 26% indicates a continuing acceleration. To offset the immense cost of AI infrastructure, Meta is implementing strict financial discipline. The company plans to lay off approximately 10% of its workforce, totaling 8,000 employees, and eliminate 6,000 open roles. Despite these massive investments, management expects 2026 operating income to exceed 2025 levels, suggesting the company believes it can scale its AI capabilities without compromising its bottom line.