Big Tech bosses defend AI spending

DAYS AFTER CHINESE startup DeepSeek's breakthrough low-cost AI computing shook the US technology industry, CEOs of Microsoft and Meta defended massive spending, saying it was crucial to staying competitive in the new field.

- ADITYA SONI & DEBORAH MARY SOPHIA

DeepSeek's quick advances with models that it claimed can match or even outperform Western rivals at a fraction of the cost stirred doubts about the lead U.S. has, but the top executives said building huge computer networks was necessary to serve growing corporate needs.

"Investing very heavily in capital expenditure and infrastructure is going to be a strategic advantage over time," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on a post-earnings call.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the spending would ease capacity constraints that have hampered the technology giant's ability to capitalize on AI.