* Originally in: SF SciFi -> Reality

Meta is testing robot arms inside data centers that could replace up to 80%
of human workload

Date:
Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Meta envisions a future where robots look after incident response, monitoring and maintenance at its data centers -- including power cycling
devices and swapping network cables.

According to new Ars Technica reporting, the company has already deployed a simple, finger-like robot that can physically press the power button on hardware like Mac minis. The company also demonstrated a self-driving robot
in 2023 that was cable of moving heavy server racks, so it's not the first time Meta has been exploring how to automate its growing data center footprint. According to the latest reports,
some of those earlier robots have already been deployed at its Iowa
and Virginia facilities, and it's the Iowa campus that looks to be one of the company's biggest testing grounds. For the past year or so, the Facebook's parent company has reportedly been testing two two- arm robots for cable-related work, under human supervision.

A separate scissor-lift-style machine with a robotic arm is also rolling around Meta's Ohio campus in a trial for jobs like reseating components.

However, the growing complexity of AI data centers also presents its own challenges for robots, making fine motor skills far more important for costly and vital components.

Naturally, worker feedback hasn't always been so positive. Besides one
unnamed employee warning that robots could replace 80% of the human roles before long, many also complain that autonomous robots spend far too long charging their batteries -- not working.

Still, robots are clearly still part of the company's plan. Robotics exec
Eric Xu previously described a future where robots are used for incident response, environmental monitoring and preventative maintenance.

"America is in the middle of its biggest infrastructure boom since World War II, and theres a major shortage of skilled workers to fill the roles; we need more workers, not fewer," company spokesperson Francis Brennan told Ars Technica .

Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/meta-is-testing-robot-arms-inside-data-centers-t hat-could-replace-up-to-80-percent-of-human-workload

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* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * KY, USA (1:2320/107)