Meta Tests Robots to Handle Data Center Tasks as AI Buildout Accelerates

Updated August 28, 2026 2:53 pm

Meta is testing robots inside its data centers to plug cables, reset servers and take on other routine maintenance work, a move that could reduce staffing needs as the company pours billions into AI infrastructure. The experiments, which have not been publicly detailed before, show how quickly the industry is trying to automate the physical side of running the sprawling facilities that power artificial intelligence.

The effort matters because data centers are becoming one of the most expensive bottlenecks in the AI race. If robots can reliably perform repetitive and physically demanding tasks, Meta could lower operating costs, speed up repairs and potentially scale its server footprint with fewer on-site workers.

Why Meta is turning to robots in data centers

Meta’s data center automation push is a response to a basic business problem: the company’s AI ambitions require more computing power, more facilities and more people to keep everything running. But those workers are expensive and increasingly difficult to find in some regions where the company is building or expanding campuses.

Current and former workers familiar with the testing say Meta is looking at robots as a way to handle chores that are repetitive, time-sensitive and often inconvenient for humans. That includes tasks such as power cycling servers, swapping cables, moving equipment and restarting machines after remote troubleshooting.

The logic is similar to the pitch around AI software for office work. If digital agents can assist or replace parts of white-collar workflows, robots may eventually absorb a share of the physically repetitive work performed by data center technicians.

What kinds of tasks are being automated?

Meta is experimenting with several different robotic systems and attachments. According to people familiar with the work, the company has tried robots that can:

• press power buttons to restart equipment
• cut and restore power to servers
• handle cable replacement and network connections
• move server racks and inventory through facilities
• assist with inspections after failures or outages

Some of the tools are sophisticated robotic arms. Others are much simpler, including a small device that functions more like a mechanical finger, pressing a button when instructed by a human operator remotely.

Which robot vendors is Meta using?

Meta is drawing on multiple suppliers rather than betting on a single robotic platform. Workers familiar with the projects say the company has used hardware from Watney Robotics, Kinova and ABB, among others.

That mixed-vendor approach suggests Meta is still in the experimentation phase. It is testing what actually works in live data centers instead of standardizing on one system too early. Kinova and ABB declined to comment, while Watney did not respond to questions.

How advanced are the robots right now?

They are useful, but not yet ready to replace human technicians across the board. Workers say Meta’s existing robots can perform certain duties well enough to justify continued testing, yet each system still has clear operational limits.

One robot used for inventory and inspection, for example, relies on grayscale vision and cannot distinguish between green and red lights on equipment. That means humans still need to verify some failures. The device also struggles with corners and tangled cable runs, and it must sometimes be physically moved between buildings because there are so few of them.

Another issue is speed. Some workers described the robots as slower than human staff, especially when they need to reposition or recharge. In a facility where minutes matter during outages, downtime can matter as much as accuracy.

Why are cables such a hard problem?

Cabling is difficult because data centers are built around dense, human-oriented infrastructure. Many systems were designed for hands, not machine grippers, and the task often requires reaching into tight spaces, manipulating delicate connections and avoiding accidental disconnections of nearby equipment.

That physical reality is one reason robotics vendors have struggled. Even when robots can mimic a basic motion, reliability in a live data center is a much higher bar than success in a lab demo.

What Meta has already deployed

Meta has not been waiting for fully humanoid robots before starting automation. In a 2023 video, the company said it was already using a self-driving tugger to move server racks and an in-house wheeled robot to track inventory by reading barcodes.

According to people familiar with the deployments, those tools are now active in multiple Meta facilities, including sites in Iowa and Virginia. They are part of a broader set of experiments aimed at reducing human labor in logistics, tracking and basic handling work.

The company also appears to be using Altoona, Iowa, as a proving ground for new technology. Local officials and people close to the campus say Meta often pilots systems there before rolling them out elsewhere.

Why Altoona and New Albany matter

Meta’s Altoona campus in Iowa is now its largest data center site, and it has become a showcase for how the company balances expansion, tax incentives and local employment. The facility opened in 2014 and benefits from a property tax break that saves Meta tens of millions of dollars annually.

The newer campus in New Albany, Ohio, known as Prometheus, is also being used for robot testing. There, Meta is reported to be deploying ABB machines with arms mounted on wheeled bases and lift systems that can raise the arm to work on equipment.

These two sites illustrate the geography of data center labor: big campuses in places where land and electricity are available, but highly specialized workers may be in short supply. In that environment, automation becomes more attractive.

One worker familiar with Meta’s internal discussions said employees who perform physical maintenance had once assumed they were relatively insulated from AI-driven automation, but now worry that robots will steadily absorb more of their work.

How does Meta publicly describe its hiring needs?

Meta says it still needs skilled workers and is investing in training rather than replacing people. Company spokesperson Francis Brennan said Meta is building and staffing its data centers at a time when the United States is experiencing a major infrastructure boom and a shortage of skilled labor.

He said the company wants more workers, not fewer, and emphasized that Meta is funding training pipelines and apprenticeship programs. The company has also launched a long-term initiative to train thousands of people each year in electrical, mechanical and plumbing trades, with job guarantees in some states for graduates.

That public message is consistent with broader industry talking points: even if robots become more common, humans will still be needed to oversee systems, manage emergencies and perform advanced maintenance. The key question is whether those roles will be enough to offset the jobs that automation removes.

Why the robotics push is drawing concern from workers

Employees familiar with the tests say the atmosphere inside some Meta facilities has become more uncertain as automation advances. In internal group chats in Altoona, workers have reportedly joked uneasily that they may be replaced within a few years.

Some of the anxiety is not just about layoffs. Workers also worry that the company will redesign jobs around lower-skilled, lower-paid roles that are easier to centralize and manage from remote hubs such as Denver. The fear is that technical judgment and creative troubleshooting will matter less than following machine-generated instructions.

That shift would mirror a wider pattern in labor markets affected by AI: work does not always disappear outright, but it can be broken into narrower tasks, reducing wages and autonomy.

What is a “smart hands” model?

A “smart hands” model is one in which workers are expected to carry out narrowly defined tasks rather than diagnose problems independently. In that setup, software or remote experts provide instructions, while on-site staff become more like operators than engineers.

For Meta, such a model could make labor easier to scale across many campuses. For workers, it could mean less room for judgment, less advancement and fewer high-skill positions.

How the data center robotics market is changing

Meta is not alone. Microsoft, Google and Amazon have each disclosed or discussed robotics efforts connected to their data center or infrastructure operations. The industry’s interest is growing because AI infrastructure is no longer just about chips and power; it is also about keeping huge fleets of servers functioning with minimal downtime.

Microsoft has said it is exploring robotics for economically valuable tasks such as replacing faulty server racks. Amazon has discussed robots for recycling parts. Google has also invested in robotics for data center-related operations. The common thread is a search for physical automation in environments where every minute of interruption can be costly.

Investment has been encouraged by two developments: robotics hardware is becoming less expensive, and the AI models that help robots perceive and act in the world are improving quickly. That combination is making tasks once considered too delicate or variable look increasingly plausible.

Who thinks humanoid robots could work in data centers?

Some industry figures believe humanoid or humanoid-like robots could eventually become standard in facilities designed around human labor. Paul Golding, who leads so-called physical intelligence at chipmaker Analog Devices, said customers increasingly ask for data centers that can be operated by humanoid robots.

His view reflects a broader ambition among robotics developers: build machines that can work in existing environments without forcing companies to redesign every process. In theory, that could allow robots to function in dark rooms, hotter spaces or other conditions where human workers would be less effective.

There is also a longer-term vision behind the effort. If machines handle enough of the work, some industry advocates argue, data centers could be built in places where humans would not want to live or work for extended periods, including underwater or in space.

What is holding robots back?

The main obstacles are speed, dexterity, reliability and battery life. Robots must do more than perform a task once under ideal conditions; they have to operate in messy, changing environments while avoiding mistakes that could take down expensive equipment.

Helen Oleynikova, CEO of Exclaim Robotics, said there have been many pilots and demonstrations, but few clear examples of a system that consistently works at scale in live data centers. Her assessment highlights the gap between flashy demos and daily operational reality.

Meta workers have also complained that robots need too much time to recharge, which limits their usefulness in urgent scenarios. And Meta has reportedly acknowledged that certain jobs, including especially dense cabling around high-end NVIDIA GB300 systems, remain beyond current robotic capabilities.

The issue is not only whether a robot can perform one isolated action. It is whether it can do so fast enough, safely enough and often enough to justify deployment across many campuses.

How much could automation change the labor force?

If Meta’s tests succeed, the company could eventually reduce the number of humans needed for some operational roles. A worker familiar with one experiment estimated that a robot handling power cycling might replace as much as 80 percent of the work in certain task categories, although that is an informal estimate rather than a company forecast.

Even partial automation could reshape the workforce by reducing the number of routine jobs and increasing demand for workers who can oversee robotic systems, maintain fleets and respond to exceptions. That means the jobs that remain may look different from the ones being phased out.

For communities that host large campuses, the change may be gradual at first. But if the industry keeps moving in this direction, the benefits of data center development could become more concentrated among landowners, utilities and taxpayers, while the job promises that helped justify tax incentives may become less compelling.

What local leaders are saying

In Altoona, Mayor Dean O’Connor said he has not spent much time worrying about robots taking jobs at Meta’s campus. His broader view is that automation will arrive eventually and communities will have to adjust.

That response captures the tension many local governments face. Data centers are promoted as economic-development wins, but the industry’s labor intensity is often lower than expected, and automation could reduce it further.

At the same time, communities continue to support these projects because they bring prestige, construction activity and tax revenue. The challenge is that robotics may change the job equation faster than public officials are able to rewrite incentive agreements or labor expectations.

Timeline of Meta’s data center robotics push

Meta’s experimentation has developed over several years, with the company gradually moving from internal logistics automation to more delicate maintenance tasks. The following timeline shows the progression described by workers and public comments.

What happens next?

Meta’s robotics program is still in a proving phase, and the company has not said when or whether it will deploy the systems widely. The next step is likely to be more testing, refinement and gradual expansion into tasks with manageable risk.

If the robots become dependable enough, they could move from pilots to standard operations across additional campuses. If they remain too slow or too limited, humans will continue to do most of the work while robots handle only the easiest jobs.

Either way, the testing shows where the data center industry is headed. The AI boom is not only increasing demand for compute; it is also creating demand for machines that can maintain the machines powering the boom. For Meta, that may be the clearest sign yet that the future of infrastructure is being built not just with servers and chips, but with robots too.