Meta Reportedly Testing Data Center Maintenance Robots

TechRepublic reported, citing WIRED, that Meta is testing robots made by Watney Robotics, Kinova and ABB at facilities in Altoona, Iowa, and New Albany, Ohio, to automate maintenance tasks such as replacing network cables and rebooting servers.

At Meta’s data centers, the tests are examining whether robots can replace human workers for maintenance tasks such as replacing network cables, rebooting servers and reconnecting equipment. The technicians responsible for maintenance in facilities with dense cabling and tightly packed components are the workers affected. Whether the robots need supervision during tasks will determine whether they can be used in actual operations.