Meta is testing robots for some of the most physical jobs inside data centers, including reconnecting network cables, resetting servers and inspecting equipment. The experiments could reduce response times and repetitive labor, but they are also prompting workers to question how many technician tasks will remain human.
Wired reports that Meta is evaluating hardware from Kinova, ABB and Watney Robotics across several facilities. Some machines already transport racks or scan inventory, while newer trials target work that demands more precise manipulation.
The program remains experimental. Current robots require supervision, struggle with ordinary obstacles and cannot yet match people on difficult cabling jobs.
Robots move from transport to server maintenance
Meta has previously used a self-driving tugger to move heavy server racks and a wheeled robot to read barcodes and track inventory. Those systems now operate at multiple data centers, including sites in Iowa and Virginia, according to current and former workers cited by Wired.
The company is expanding beyond movement and counting. A Kinova Gen3 arm is being tested for power cycling or disconnecting electricity from servers. Another system is meant to swap networking cables. Some facilities use a simpler remotely triggered device that can press a power button to restart a machine.
At Meta’s Altoona, Iowa, campus, two dual-armed Watney robots have been trying cabling work since June 2025. Humans supervise them, and they remain slower than technicians. At the newer Prometheus campus in Ohio, four-wheeled ABB machines with lift mechanisms and robotic arms are testing how to reseat components.
Meta declined to discuss the specific trials. A spokesperson instead emphasized the company’s investment in hiring and training people to build and operate data centers.
Technical limits keep people in the loop
The machines described in the report are not autonomous replacements for an entire maintenance team. Meta’s inventory robot uses a grayscale camera and cannot distinguish green status lights from red ones, so people still need to diagnose some failures.
It also has difficulty navigating corners and crossing loose cables. Because relatively few units are deployed, workers move them between buildings, open doors and sometimes control them remotely. Sources described the inventory process as slow, and the machines require downtime to recharge.
More complex hardware presents a larger barrier. Meta has reportedly acknowledged internally that robots cannot handle the dense cabling involved in an Nvidia GB300 supercomputer. A former employee said equipment has been designed around human hands, making quick repairs difficult to automate without redesigning the environment itself.
Helen Oleynikova, chief executive of Exclaim Robotics, told Wired that the industry has produced many pilots and demonstrations but no proven general solution. That assessment limits any claim that widespread replacement is imminent.
Workers see both assistance and job pressure
The strongest labor estimate in the article comes from one Meta worker, who said a successful cable-swapping robot could replace as much as 80 percent of some employees’ workloads. That is an individual projection, not a company forecast or measured result.
Advocates argue that robots could take repetitive or dangerous tasks, provide consistent output and support facilities in regions with shortages of qualified technicians. Meta says it needs more skilled workers and has launched programs offering free electrical, mechanical and plumbing training, including employment guarantees in several states.
Some employees remain unconvinced. Wired describes demoralized worker discussions in Altoona and concerns that AI-guided procedures could allow Meta to centralize expertise while hiring lower-paid staff primarily to follow instructions.
The local economics add another question. Communities often justify data center tax incentives partly through employment. If automation eventually reduces headcount or changes job quality, officials may reassess that bargain.
For now, Meta’s robots reveal a transition rather than a finished operating model. They can move equipment, inspect limited conditions and attempt carefully bounded maintenance. People still open doors, interpret signals, handle complicated cables and recover when the machines reach their limits.
