Inside Meta’s push to put robots to work in data centers

Meta Platforms is testing robots that can plug in cables, reset servers, and handle other tasks inside its data centers, according to several current and former workers familiar with the projects. The ongoing effort, which has not been previously reported, may eventually allow Meta to operate its rapidly expanding data center footprint with fewer humans, keeping labor costs in check as its spending on AI infrastructure soars. Meta is using robots and related hardware from several different vendors, including Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB, according to the same workers, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. Kinova and ABB declined to comment. Watney didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Built Robotics Deploys Autonomous Pile Drivers at Hyperion AI Campus

Meta Platforms is putting robots to work inside and around its data centers, deploying autonomous machines for everything from pounding steel beams into the ground to scanning server racks. The effort spans both the construction and day-to-day operations of Meta’s sprawling data infrastructure, with the most dramatic example being ten 72-ton robotic pile drivers now operating at a solar site tied to the company’s massive Hyperion AI data center campus in Louisiana. The autonomous pile drivers, deployed by Built Robotics in July 2026, can drive nearly 1,000 steel beams per day. That output reduces the need for manual labor by roughly three to four times compared to traditional methods. Human workers haven’t been eliminated from the equation, but their role has shifted: they now serve as “robot foremen,” supervising autonomous equipment rather than doing the heavy lifting themselves. Meta’s Hyperion project, located in Richland Parish, Louisiana, is one of the most ambitious data center builds in tech history. The campus is targeting up to 5 GW of compute capacity, a figure that has grown from an initial projection of 2 GW when the project was first announced in 2024. The estimated cost exceeds $50B. The autonomous pile drivers operate for more than 12 hours daily, even in conditions that would slow human crews considerably, including knee-deep mud.

Vendor Hardware Deployed Across Altoona and New Albany Facilities

Watney and ABB Robots Tested in Altoona and New Albany

The Altoona data center campus is often where Meta prototypes new technologies. What they do here in Altoona, they take to their other sites and put that in place there, says O’Connor. Since last June, Meta has been trying out a pair of dual-armed Watney robots for some cabling work at one of its Altoona buildings, according to one of the people familiar with the company’s efforts. The robots are supervised by humans and can’t work as fast as people yet, but they show promise. After Watney launched in 2023, it put out a demo of a laundry-folding robot that it claimed could also handle janitorial work inside businesses. The San Francisco startup quietly pivoted to data center robots early last year, according to archived copies of its website. Meta is testing additional robots in New Albany, Ohio, at the company’s newest data center campus known as Prometheus. Four-wheel robots with a scissor-lift-style riser and a six-axis arm on top made by the automation giant ABB are being used there to reseat parts and, eventually, they may take on other tasks with diminishing human oversight, a person familiar with the product says.

In one experiment, Meta is evaluating whether a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm could be used for power cycling or cutting off electricity to servers. The company is also testing a different robot to swap networking cables. One Meta data center worker estimates that if it’s successful, the bot could replace up to 80 percent of some people’s workloads. Beyond operational maintenance, Meta has quietly adopted another, relatively simple robot at some facilities. It looks like a finger—or perhaps a pointy stick—that can press the power button on a Mac Mini or other device to restart it when remotely prompted by a human.

Labor Shortages Versus Worker Concerns Over Automated Tasks

Francis Brennan Responds to Labor Shortages and Worker Anxiety

Meta declined to comment on the testing described in this story. Company spokesperson Francis Brennan said in a statement that Meta is investing heavily in training and hiring workers to build and operate its data centers.

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, he said.

Conversely, some technicians express anxiety about job security and shifting responsibilities. We thought those of us performing the physical tasks were safe for a while, but not anymore, says the worker. It’s coming for us all, unfortunately. Some workers have also complained about the amount of downtime the robots need to recharge their batteries, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Engineering Hurdles and Future Infrastructure Demands

Despite corporate ambitions, technical limitations continue to slow down widespread adoption. Two sources describe the inventory bot as too slow. One says Meta previously explored using drones as a faster alternative, but ultimately didn’t pursue the idea. Meta is testing robots to move server racks, inspect equipment, replace cables, and restart servers. However, the machines still need human supervision and struggle with obstacles, battery life, visual inspections, and dense cabling.

There’s been a lot of pilots and demos, but no provable working solution, says Helen Oleynikova, CEO of Exclaim Robotics, which is developing prototypes to replace broken parts and reset cables in data centers.

Furthermore, Meta has also acknowledged internally that robots aren’t equipped for certain tasks, such as the intense cabling work required to run an Nvidia GB300 supercomputer. As one former Meta employee notes, Things have been designed for human hands forever to make everything a five-minute repair,