- Meta is testing robots to swap cables, restart servers, and inspect equipment in its data centers.
- One employee estimated a successful cable-swapping robot could replace 80% of work in certain roles.
- Robots remain slow and require human assistance, but their development could reduce staffing needs.
Meta is testing robots from Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB to maintain data centers powering its AI systems, according to a Friday WIRED report. These machines can replace networking cables, restart servers, and inspect equipment, but they still need human supervision.
One unnamed employee estimated that a successful cable-swapping robot could replace as much as 80% of the work performed in certain roles. However, the machine cannot yet match a person’s speed, and robots struggle with obstacles, battery life, and dense cabling.
NVIDIA and Alibaba are also developing systems to improve robot training. Nvidia researchers introduced AI agents that train robot fleets, while Alibaba unveiled its Qwen-Robot Suite with models for navigation and object handling.
Meanwhile, ACE Robotics Chairman Wang Xiaogang said embodied AI could have a “ChatGPT moment” by the end of 2027. Companies like Bedrock Robotics and Mercedes-Benz are also testing robots for construction and factory work.
Workers fear automation may reduce demand for experienced technicians and shift tasks to lower-paid roles. A Meta spokesperson said the company continues to hire amid a skilled-labor shortage, adding, “America is in the middle of its biggest infrastructure boom since World War II, and there’s a major shortage of skilled workers to fill the roles; we need more workers, not fewer.”
On Wednesday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates proposed taxing robots and AI tokens. Meta’s robots still require people for supervision and difficult repairs, but their success could determine whether the company’s data center expansion creates or replaces jobs.
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