Meta is testing robots inside its data centers to plug in cables and reset servers as tech giants race to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure amid a growing skilled labor shortage that threatens mission-critical digital operations across the United States.
The race to build and maintain the digital backbone of the modern economy is colliding with two unforgiving bottlenecks: a severe shortage of skilled human workers and a burgeoning infrastructure footprint. As tech giants build massive campuses to power artificial intelligence workloads, companies are experimenting with automation to keep labor costs in check and systems operational around the clock.
Meta Tests Robots Inside Data Centers to Handle Routine Maintenance
Meta is testing robots that can plug in cables, reset servers, and handle other physical tasks inside its data centers, according to current and former workers familiar with the projects. The ongoing effort may eventually allow Meta to operate its rapidly expanding data center footprint with fewer humans as its spending on AI infrastructure soars.
The company is utilizing hardware from several different vendors, including Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB. In one experiment, engineers evaluated whether a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm could cut off electricity to servers or handle power cycling. At other facilities, Meta has quietly adopted a simple device resembling a finger or pointy stick that presses power buttons on Mac Minis and other equipment to restart them when remotely prompted by a human.
One data center worker estimates that a successful bot could replace up to 80 percent of some people’s workloads. That prospect has rattled technicians who previously believed physical tasks were insulated from automation. We thought those of us performing the physical tasks were safe for a while, but not anymore,
one worker told reporters. It’s coming for us all, unfortunately.
Meta declined to comment on the testing. However, company spokesperson Francis Brennan defended the firm’s broader workforce investments, stating that America is in the middle of its biggest infrastructure boom since World War II and faces a major shortage of skilled workers.
Eric Xu, senior manager for robotics at Meta, noted at a conference last year that the company’s long-term goals include deploying robots to speed up incident response, monitor environments, and handle preventative maintenance. We believe more collaboration and research will be needed, but we have to start, otherwise we don’t have a chance to do this,
Xu said.
The Skilled Labor Shortage Threatens Operational Uptime
While robotics developers target routine physical upkeep, the broader data center industry faces an acute shortage of the senior-level systems thinkers needed to keep mission-critical facilities running reliably. More than half of data center operators now report difficulties finding qualified candidates for vacant roles, according to a July report published by the industry think tank Uptime Institute. While firms express confidence in hiring junior-level workers, the shortage of experienced senior staff remains intractable.
Without an adequate pipeline of seasoned professionals, critical systems in finance and healthcare face a higher risk of outages and cascading failures. Weinschenk noted that companies are trying to push retirement further away for the experts they already employ, clinging to them as long as possible.
Economic Scale and the Geopolitical Tug-of-War Over Digital Infrastructure
The modern digital infrastructure boom spans far beyond individual tech campuses. In 2024, data centers directly employed more than a million workers and supported 5.5 million jobs nationwide. Andrew Schaap, CEO and board member of Aligned Data Centers, argues that manufacturing’s next chapter hinges on data centers, noting that keeping pace with global compute demand could require $6.7 trillion in investment by 2030.
Local economies are reaping massive financial benefits from this growth.
However, the expansion has met intense political and community resistance. According to recent polling, roughly three-quarters of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers due to concerns over electricity, water consumption, and land use. A report by Sam Lyman, lead researcher at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, attributes 10 data center moratoria, one permanent ban, and four rejected AI projects to activist campaigns. Lyman’s research asserts that groups with ties to the Chinese Communist Party have helped coordinate efforts that have blocked or delayed $23.6 billion in AI investment in the United States, allowing China to accelerate its own infrastructure expansion.
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