Technology and Science28 August, 20262 min read
Meta Tests Data Center Robots, Potentially Replacing Up to 80% of Some Workers’ Workloads
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Meta tests robots from Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB to plug cables and restart servers. The initiative could reduce staffing in data centers and lower labor costs amid AI expansion.
Meta pilots data-center robots
Meta is testing robots inside its data centers that can swap cables, restart servers, and inspect equipment, according to current and former workers familiar with the projects. The robots being used in the trials include equipment from Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB, with one experiment evaluating whether a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm can be used for power cycling or cutting off electricity to servers. In the same reporting, a Meta data center worker estimated that if the cable-swapping robot succeeds, it could replace up to 80 percent of some people’s workloads.
Ars Technica reported that Meta’s effort is ongoing and may eventually allow the company to operate its rapidly expanding data center footprint with fewer humans as it keeps labor costs in check while spending on AI infrastructure soars. WIRED also described the robots as still requiring human supervision and struggling with obstacles, battery life, visual inspections, and dense cabling.
Workers fear job cuts
Workers who spoke to WIRED said they fear automation could reduce staffing or shift technical work to lower-paid roles, even as Meta continues to expand its AI infrastructure. One worker told WIRED, "Pensábamos que los que realizábamos las tareas físicas estábamos a salvo durante un tiempo, pero ya no es así," describing the anxiety created by the trials. Ars Technica quoted a worker saying, "We thought those of us performing the physical tasks were safe for a while, but not anymore," and added that the worker said, "It’s coming for us all, unfortunately."
In the WIRED reporting, Meta declined to comment on the specific tests described, while Kinova and ABB declined to comment and Watney did not respond to requests for comment. WIRED also reported that the robots still need people to supervise them and perform difficult repairs, and that the development could determine whether Meta’s expanding data center footprint creates jobs or replaces them.
Meta says it needs workers
Meta’s robotics push is paired with a company message that it needs more workers, not fewer, as it builds and operates data centers for AI. In a statement carried by WIRED, spokesperson Francis Brennan said, "EE UU se encuentra en medio del mayor auge de infraestructuras desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial y hay una gran escasez de trabajadores cualificados para cubrir los puestos; necesitamos más trabajadores, no menos". Ars Technica similarly reported Brennan’s argument that Meta is investing heavily in training and hiring workers to build and operate its data centers, even as robots are tested for tasks like connecting cables and resetting servers.
“‘We need more workers, not fewer,’ he said.”
WIRED also pointed to limitations that keep humans in the loop, including that robots struggle with obstacles, battery life, visual inspections, and dense cabling, and that Meta has concluded current systems are not suitable for some complex tasks. The WIRED reporting framed the stakes as whether Meta’s data-center automation will translate into fewer technicians or a shift in roles, with the company’s stated position emphasizing continued hiring and training amid a skilled-labor shortage.