Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes the company can reach superintelligence by scaling up its models, with larger ones already in training that he expects to be far more capable.
‘Methodically’ Climbing the Ladder
Zuckerberg told analysts on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday that his view is Meta will be able to “build superintelligence through scaling,” and that the company is “methodically working our way up the ladder.”
Meta is already working on larger models after Muse Wonder, its frontier model, and he expects them to be “very impressive and capable.”
The company plans to keep pushing the frontier models while distilling its models into much smaller, more efficient versions built for personal agents like Muse, which more than 10 million users in the U.S. and Canada have set up.
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Cheaper Models, Higher Expectations
Zuckerberg expects Meta to deliver today’s intelligence “at a fraction of the cost” in a smaller model within a year, but does not think “most people are going to want to use the current model level of intelligence” by then.
Revenue, efficiency and model development all have to advance to “fund and support the compute buildout,” he added.
Meta expects 2026 capital expenditures of $135 billion to $145 billion, and CFO Susan Li said the company will “continue investing aggressively” to support its core business and emerging AI initiatives.
Meta also announced it will give shareholders a new class of non-voting shares in January, letting Zuckerberg keep control while the company gains a new way to raise money to fund its AI buildout.
Tops Q3 Estimates, Lifts Expense Outlook
Meta reported third-quarter revenue of $64.6 billion, above analyst estimates of $63.37 billion, according to Benzinga Pro. Adjusted earnings of $7.40 per share also topped the $5.74 expected.
The company now expects full-year 2026 expenses of $175 billion to $179 billion, up from its earlier forecast of $165 billion to $169 billion, including a $9.9 billion charge tied to legal proceedings in the quarter.
Price Action: Meta shares closed 0.47% higher at $697.52 on Wednesday, then rose 2.17% to $712.65 in extended trading after the results.
Benzinga Edge rankings indicate Meta’s stock has a Momentum score in the 59th percentile and a Growth score in the 74th percentile.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
