Anthropic holds early talks to lease AI compute from Meta

Anthropic is in early-stage discussions to lease computing capacity from Meta, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC’s Kate Rooney. The talks would extend a pattern of AI developers seeking access to large pools of chips and data-center capacity as demand for advanced models strains available infrastructure.

Meta shares moved off their lows on Friday after the New York Times reported that the companies were discussing a possible arrangement valued at about $10 billion. CNBC reported that Meta declined to comment.

The discussions follow Anthropic’s recent agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use capacity at the Colossus 1 data center. Anthropic said that arrangement was intended to increase capacity for paid subscribers, according to CNBC.

Compute becomes a strategic asset

For AI labs, leasing compute means securing access to the servers, networking equipment, power and cooling needed to train or run large models. The key constraint is often the supply of advanced graphics processors, including chips made by Nvidia, which are used to perform the calculations required by frontier AI systems.

CNBC reported that Anthropic, one of the leading artificial intelligence labs, is continuing to make substantial commitments with other AI companies to gain access to Nvidia-based infrastructure. The company has placed usage limits on its most advanced models, including Fable, as it works with finite capacity, according to CNBC.

The reported discussions also place Meta’s infrastructure spending under renewed scrutiny. Meta has been investing heavily in AI systems, and CNBC reported that the company could spend as much as $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, including AI infrastructure.

Meta weighs cloud ambitions

Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in May that the company was considering entering the cloud computing business, according to CNBC. Such a move would offer a way to generate revenue from AI infrastructure beyond using the technology to improve Meta’s existing social media and advertising businesses.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta hired Dave Brown, a former senior executive at Amazon Web Services, to lead its infrastructure operations. The appointment came as Meta was considering a broader push into cloud services, according to the Journal.

Zuckerberg said last October that companies were regularly “asking if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium to what we’ve bought it at,” according to CNBC.

A deal with Anthropic, if completed, would suggest that Meta sees an opportunity to monetize excess or specially allocated computing capacity while maintaining its own AI development agenda. CNBC described the Anthropic discussions as preliminary, and no completed agreement has been announced.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.