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‘It'll Be One of the Most Important and Valuable AI Systems That Gets Built': Why Meta's Mark Zuckerberg Is Pumping Billions Into This New Tech

‘It'll Be One of the Most Important and Valuable AI Systems That Gets Built': Why Meta's Mark Zuckerberg Is Pumping Billions Into This New Tech

Globe and Mail20-06-2025
At a recent Stripe Sessions event, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined Stripe President John Collison to discuss the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in business and the broader economy. Zuckerberg's remarks provided a candid look at how Meta Platforms (META) is leveraging AI to automate advertising and reshape enterprise workflows, with significant implications for investors and the company's stock performance.
Zuckerberg's Take on AI: From Hype to Real-World Impact
Zuckerberg acknowledged the rapid pace of AI development, stating, 'AI is going to transform pretty much every category of product and every part of the economy.' He addressed the ongoing debate over whether the current enthusiasm represents a bubble, noting that even if it takes five to ten years for AI to permeate every enterprise workflow, progress has consistently outpaced expectations.
'Being even more ambitious has been more predictive over the last few years about where things are likely going to be in the industry,' he said.
The Future of Advertising: Fully Automated by AI
Zuckerberg's most striking comments focused on Meta's vision for AI-driven advertising. He described a future where businesses no longer need to create their own ad creatives, identify target audiences, or measure campaign performance manually. Instead, 'any business can come to us and say what their objective is, how much they're willing to pay to achieve those results, connect their bank account and then we just deliver as many results as we can. I think it'll be one of the most important and valuable AI systems that gets built,' he explained.
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Meta's roadmap aims to enable fully automated AI advertising by 2026, allowing businesses to launch campaigns with minimal input — potentially just a business URL and a budget. AI will handle creative generation, targeting, and optimization, making advanced marketing accessible to companies of all sizes and reducing the need for specialized marketing expertise.
For Investors
Meta's aggressive push into AI-powered automation is a key driver behind its strong stock performance in 2025. The company's shares have surged 19% year-to-date, outperforming many of its tech peers. As of June 17, 2025, Meta's stock currently sits just under $700, reflecting investor confidence in the company's AI strategy and the broader digital advertising market.
Analysts point to Meta's expanding AI capabilities and the potential for fully automated ad platforms as major catalysts for future growth. The anticipated rollout of end-to-end AI advertising solutions by 2026 could further solidify Meta's dominance in digital marketing and unlock new revenue streams.
Mark Zuckerberg's comments at the Stripe event show Meta's commitment to harnessing AI for business transformation. By automating the entire advertising process, Meta aims to democratize access to marketing tools, drive efficiency, and deliver superior results for businesses and shareholders alike. As AI continues to evolve, Meta's bold strategy positions it at the forefront of the next wave of digital innovation
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Gold Could See Higher Highs with a September Interest Rate Cut on the Table
Gold Could See Higher Highs with a September Interest Rate Cut on the Table

Globe and Mail

timean hour ago

  • Globe and Mail

Gold Could See Higher Highs with a September Interest Rate Cut on the Table

Distributed on behalf of Equinox Gold Corp. With a September interest rate cut on the table, gold prices could push aggressively higher, positively impacting gold and related stocks, like Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE: EQX) (TSX: EQX), Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) (TSX: NGT), Barrick Mining (NYSE: B) (TSX: ABX), Franco-Nevada Corp. (NYSE: FNV), and B2Gold Corp. (NYSE AMERICAN: BTG) (TSX: BTO). In fact, with consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) data now out, there's an 88.5% chance we'll see a cut, as noted by CME Group's FedWatch. In fact, you can see the odds of a rate cut here. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also believes the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by half a point at its September meeting. As he told Bloomberg, 'I think we could go into a series of rate cuts here, starting with a 50-basis point rate cut in September. If you look at any model [it suggests that] we should probably be 150, 175 basis points lower.' Fueling more upside are geopolitical and economic uncertainties, growing central bank demand, and a weaker U.S. dollar. Plus, analysts at Fidelity say the safe haven metal could soar to $4,000 by the end of next year. Goldman Sachs and Bank of America are also calling for $4,000 gold by 2026. Again, that should have a positive impact on gold and related stocks, such as: Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE: EQX) (TSX: EQX), Which Just Delivered Strong Earnings Equinox Gold Corp. is now poised for m ajor inflection in the third quarter, including its Calibre Asset production, Canadian Greenstone Gold Mine ramp-up and Valentine Gold Mine startup. With regards to its most recent quarter, Darren Hall, CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: "Equinox Gold is entering a pivotal growth phase. Q2 delivered solid results, led by Greenstone, where mining rates increased 23% and processing rates improved 20% over Q1. Building on that momentum, Q3 is off to a strong start, with quarter-to-date ex-pit mining volumes 10% higher than Q2 and process plant throughput averaging 24.5 kptd over the last 30 days, including more than one-third of the days above nameplate capacity of 27 ktpd. This sets the stage for our true inflection point in Q3, driven by a full-quarter contribution from the Calibre assets, first ore processed at Valentine, and continued improvement at Greenstone.' "If the Calibre transaction had been effective from January 1, 2025, our pro-forma consolidated revenue for the first half would have been approximately $1.33 billion, highlighting the enhanced scale and earnings power of the combined company. We expect a strong second half of the year, with production on track to meet our full-year consolidated guidance of 785,000 to 915,000 ounces and anticipate continued growth in both production and cash flow into 2026. Our focus is clear as we grow into a top-tier producer - operational excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and deliver on our commitments to drive debt reduction, optimize our balance sheet, and maximize returns for shareholders." HIGHLIGHTS FOR Q2 2025 AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS - On June 17, 2025, Equinox Gold closed its acquisition of Calibre Mining Corp. - Produced 219,122 ounces of gold, including full period contributions of 72,823 oz of gold from the Nicaragua operations and Pan Mine, excluding 1,975 oz from Castle Mountain and 1,495 oz from Los Filos - Total cash costs of $1,478 per oz and all-in sustaining costs of $1,959 per oz - Cash flow from operations before changes in non-cash working capital of $126.0 million ($132.9 million after changes in non-cash working capital) - Mine-site free cash flow before changes in non-cash working capital of $154.5 million ($178.4 million after changes in non-cash working capital) - Adjusted EBITDA of $200.5 million - Income from mine operations of $159.8 million - Net income of $23.8 million or $0.05 per share (basic) - Adjusted net income of $56.7 million or $0.11 per share - Sustaining expenditures of $71.1 million and non-sustaining expenditures of $42.3 million - Cash and equivalents (unrestricted) of $406.7 million at June 30, 2025 - Net debt of $1,373.7 million at June 30, 2025 - The Castle Mountain Mine was designated as a FAST-41 Project by the United States Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. According to the FAST-41 project dashboard as of August 8, 2025, the federal permitting process is expected to be completed in December 2026 (see link) - Announced agreement to sell non-core Nevada assets for US$115 million (see link) - Valentine Gold Mine enters the final stages of commissioning with ore processing expected to commence before the end of August 2025, followed by the first gold pour approximately one month later - On June 30, 2025, Equinox Gold ratified the new long-term land access agreements with Mezcala and Xochipala, two of the three communities near the Los Filos Mine. These agreements enable a new mine development project, starting with an exploration program in Q3 2025 and followed by engineering studies to evaluate alternative locations for the carbon-in-leach plant needed for a potential expansion. - Senior leadership transition: Darren Hall was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Director on July 22, 2025. - Nicaragua exploration results: Reported new high-grade resource expansion drill results, including: 36.77 g/t gold over 6.9 metres, 8.55 g/t gold over 14.6 metres, 10.19 g/t gold over 6.0 metres Other related developments from around the markets include: Newmont announced second quarter 2025 results, an additional $3.0 billion share repurchase program and declared a dividend of $0.25 per share. "Newmont delivered a strong second quarter, producing approximately 1.5 million attributable gold ounces and generating an all-time record quarterly free cash flow of $1.7 billion, underscoring the strength of our world-class portfolio and the disciplined execution of the commitments we shared at the beginning of the year," said Tom Palmer, Newmont's Chief Executive Officer. "We remain firmly on track to achieve our 2025 guidance as we continue to strengthen our safety culture, stabilize our operations and deliver long term value to shareholders." Five years after its formation, the Twiga partnership between Barrick Mining Corporation and the government of Tanzania continues to redefine the role of mining in national development, delivering shared value, operational excellence and long-term investment in the country's future. 'When we established Twiga, it was about more than just resolving legacy issues. It was about building a new future by unlocking Tanzania's gold endowment in a way that fairly shares the benefits and builds lasting value for all stakeholders. Five years on, we've not only re-established Barrick as the sector's leading economic contributor but have also earned national recognition across a range of areas from safety and local content to education and infrastructure,' Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said. Franco-Nevada Corp. CEO Paul Brink just noted, 'I am very pleased with our record financial results this quarter,' stated Paul Brink, CEO. Our portfolio largely produced as expected for the quarter and higher gold prices contributed to record revenue, operating cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA margins and earnings. We also saw constructive developments in Panama, including the shipment of the remaining copper concentrate from Cobre Panama. During the quarter, we acquired a royalty on IAMGOLD's Co^te´ Gold Mine, one of Canada's newest large-scale gold mines and, post quarter-end, a royalty on AngloGold's Arthur Project, one of the largest gold discoveries in Nevada. We anticipate new contributions from Co^te´ and growing contributions from Porcupine and Tocantinzinho to be the main drivers for higher GEOs in the second half of the year. Our acquisitions over the last 18 months have positioned us for strong long-term growth that may be further enhanced by a potential restart at Cobre Panama.' B2Gold Corp. announced its operational and financial results for the second quarter of 2025. Consolidated gold production in the second quarter of 2025, including pre-commercial production from the Goose Mine, was 229,454 ounces, higher than expected. The Fekola, Masbate and Otjikoto mines all exceeded expected production in the second quarter, and the Company remains on track to meet its consolidated annual production guidance range. All three operations continue to meet or exceed gold production expectations to start the third quarter of 2025. Consolidated cash operating costs, excluding pre-commercial production from the Goose Mine, were $745 per gold ounce produced ($762 per gold ounce sold) during the second quarter of 2025. Cash operating costs per ounce produced for the second quarter of 2025 were better than expected as a result of lower than expected fuel costs and higher than expected gold production. On August 7, 2025, B2Gold's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend for the third quarter of 2025 of $0.02 per common share (or an expected $0.08 per share on an annualized basis), payable on September 23, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 10, 2025. Legal Disclaimer / Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this article contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Winning Media is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Winning Media is only compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation. Pursuant to an agreement Winning Media has been paid three thousand five hundred dollars for advertising and marketing services for Equinox Gold Corp. by Equinox Gold Corp. We own ZERO shares of Equinox Gold Corp. Please click here for disclaimer. Contact:

Intermede Investment Partners Ltd Reduces Meta Holdings
Intermede Investment Partners Ltd Reduces Meta Holdings

Globe and Mail

time2 hours ago

  • Globe and Mail

Intermede Investment Partners Ltd Reduces Meta Holdings

Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Intermede Investment Partners Ltd, managed by Barry Dargan, recently executed a significant transaction involving Meta Platforms, Inc. ((META)). The hedge fund reduced its position by 11,406 shares. Spark's Take on META Stock According to Spark, TipRanks' AI Analyst, META is a Outperform. Meta Platforms excels in financial performance with strong growth and profitability metrics, which is the most significant factor driving the stock score. The positive momentum in technical analysis and favorable earnings call sentiment further bolster the score. However, valuation concerns and regulatory challenges pose moderate risks. To see Spark's full report on META stock, click here. More about Meta Platforms, Inc. YTD Price Performance: 33.80% Average Trading Volume: 12,032,675 Current Market Cap: $1964.7B Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue

2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks the U.S. Government Is Actively Backing in 2025
2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks the U.S. Government Is Actively Backing in 2025

Globe and Mail

time2 hours ago

  • Globe and Mail

2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks the U.S. Government Is Actively Backing in 2025

Key Points Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined a vision for the U.S. government to leverage more software across its operations. So far this year, data analytics platforms Palantir Technologies and have been notable beneficiaries in the public sector. Both companies' software is deployed across numerous government agencies, but I see one of these high-flying AI stocks as the clear winner. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, chances are investors' thoughts may turn to semiconductors, massive data centers, or cloud computing infrastructure. This is great news for chip powerhouses and hyperscalers like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Microsoft, Amazon, or Alphabet, but investors could be overlooking emerging opportunities beyond the usual suspects. Enterprise-grade software will become an increasingly vital layer atop the hardware stack. The commercial angle is to market AI-powered software to large corporations with complex needs spanning data analytics, logistics, human resources, cybersecurity, and more. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » But there is another opportunity outside of the private sector: how AI is redefining one of the largest and most sophisticated enterprises of all, the U.S. government. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a plan to allocate more spending toward the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP), a strategy first deployed in 2020. Its stated aim is to "provide for the efficient and effective acquisition, development, integration, and timely delivery of secure software." Let's explore how Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) and (NYSE: BBAI) are capitalizing on AI's shift from hardware to software and how each company is approaching the opportunity with SWP. 1. Palantir Technologies: The AI darling of the U.S. government Palantir has been at the center of several notable deals with the federal government throughout 2025. In late May, it deepened its relationship with the Department of Defense (DOD) through a $795 million extension featuring its Maven Smart System (MSS). This brought the total value of the MSS program to $1.28 billion, making it a long-term revenue driver. More recently, the company won a deal with the Army reportedly worth up to $10 billion over the next 10 years. Palantir's wins extend beyond the U.S. military as well. The company is building the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System -- often referred to as ImmigrationOS -- for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Signing multiyear billion-dollar deals provides Palantir with high revenue visibility, keeps its customer base sticky, and opens the door to upsell or cross-sell added services down the road. The ability to parlay its defense expertise into other government functions also expands Palantir's public sector footprint and reinforces the breadth of its capabilities -- solidifying its role as a ubiquitous AI backbone for the U.S. government. 2. A niche player helping the public sector Another AI software developer that has signed deals with the U.S. government this year is In February, it won a contract with the DOD to design a system to assist national security decision-making by analyzing trends and patterns in foreign media. Shortly thereafter, the company won a $13.2 million deal spread over three and a half years to support the Joint Chiefs of Staff's force management and data analytics capabilities. In May, the company partnered with Hardy Dynamics to advance the Army's use of machine learning and AI for autonomous drones. Lastly, has a deal with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deploy its biometric AI infrastructure system, called Pangiam, at a dozen major airports across North America to help streamline arrivals and improve security protocols. Which is the better stock: Palantir or Between the two stocks, I see Palantir as the clear choice. has proved it can win meaningful government contracts, but its work is more niche-focused and smaller in scale compared to Palantir's multibillion-dollar deals across multiple platforms. In my view, popularity is largely with retail investors who are hoping that it becomes the "next Palantir." Smart investors know that hope is not a real strategy. Prudent valuation analysis -- and not speculation -- is required to know which stock is truly worth buying. While some on Wall Street may argue that Palantir stock is cheap based on software-specific metrics such as the Rule of 40, I'm not entirely bought into such a narrative. PLTR PS Ratio data by YCharts. Traditional approaches to valuation, such as the price-to-sales ratio (P/S), show that Palantir is the priciest software-as-a-service stock among the businesses in the chart above -- and its valuation expansion means that shares are becoming even more expensive as the stock continues to rally. Palantir is an impressive company that has proved it can deliver on crucial applications, but the stock is historically expensive. I think that investors are better off waiting for a more reasonable entry point and paying a more appropriate price down the road. Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Palantir Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $668,155!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,106,071!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,070% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 13, 2025 Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Datadog, Microsoft, MongoDB, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, ServiceNow, Snowflake, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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