Google has imposed restrictions on Meta’s use of its Gemini artificial intelligence models after the social media company requested more computing capacity than the rival tech group could provide, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Capacity Shortfall Disrupts Meta’s AI Projects
Alphabet-owned Google informed Meta around March that it could not fulfill the full Gemini capacity Meta had sought to purchase, according to the newspaper. The shortfall disrupted and delayed some of Meta’s internal AI initiatives.
Several other Google clients have also been affected, though to a lesser extent, the report noted. Meta has been hit particularly hard due to its exceptionally high demand for Google’s models, the FT said.
Response and Efficiency Measures
Reuters could not immediately verify the report, which cited people familiar with the matter. Google and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours.
Due to the restrictions, Meta has encouraged its staff to use AI tokens more efficiently. Tokens are units that measure AI usage, the FT report explained.
Broader Industry Challenges
Even as companies continue to spend billions on chips and data centers, they are still struggling to secure enough computing power to support the growing demand for AI services. Revenue at Google Cloud grew to $20 billion in the first quarter ended March, but CEO Sundar Pichai said computing power constraints prevented even higher growth and contributed to the cloud unit’s backlog nearly doubling quarter on quarter.
