Gabe Newell advises game devs to embrace AI or risk falling behind in development.

Gabe Newell advises game devs to embrace AI or risk falling behind in development.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META) is taking a significant step forward in its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure development by planning to offload $2 billion in data center assets [1]. This move reflects a broader trend among tech giants to share the substantial costs of building and maintaining AI infrastructure.

Meta's strategy involves bringing in financial partners to co-develop data centers, a shift from its traditional self-funding approach. According to Susan Li, Meta's Chief Finance Officer, the company is exploring ways to work with financial partners to co-develop data centers to help finance its capital outlay for next year. While Meta expects to fund most of its capital spending internally, some projects could attract significant external financing, offering more flexibility if infrastructure needs change over time [1].

The disclosure in Meta's quarterly filing indicates that plans are solidifying. The company has approved a plan to dispose of certain data center assets and reclassified $2.04 billion worth of land and construction-in-progress as "held-for-sale" [1]. These assets are expected to be contributed to a third party within the next twelve months for co-developing data centers. The reclassification did not result in a loss, and as of June 30, total held-for-sale assets stood at $3.26 billion [1].

Meta's move is part of a broader trend among tech giants to share AI infrastructure costs. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has outlined plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars into constructing AI data center "superclusters" for superintelligence. The company has also raised its annual capital expenditures forecast by $2 billion, to $66 billion to $72 billion, driven in part by AI-driven improvements to targeting and content delivery [1].

In a separate development, Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve Corporation, has advised game developers to embrace AI or risk falling behind in development. Newell's comments underscore the growing importance of AI in various industries, including gaming [2].

These developments highlight the increasing focus on AI infrastructure and the willingness of tech giants to explore new funding strategies to support their AI initiatives. As Meta and other tech giants continue to invest heavily in AI, it will be crucial to monitor their strategies and the broader impact on the industry.

References:
[1] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025:newsml_L6N3TT0RL:0-meta-to-share-ai-infrastructure-costs-via-2-billion-asset-sale/
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/1meids7/gabe_newell_says_young_people_need_to_use_ai/