Meta Projects $1.4 Trillion in Revenue from Generative AI by 2035 Amid Legal Scrutiny

Meta has forecasted that its generative AI initiatives could generate between $460 billion and $1.4 trillion in revenue by 2035, according to recently unsealed court documents. The tech giant anticipates making $2–$3 billion from these tools in 2025 alone. These figures underscore the central role AI expects to play in Meta’s long-term strategy — despite intensifying legal challenges over its data practices. 

The projections were disclosing in the context of an ongoing lawsuit filed by book authors alleging Meta used copyrighted materials without authorization to train its AI models. While the court documents do not define “generative AI product” explicitly, Meta’s monetization channels include revenue-sharing agreements for its open-source Llama models, recently launched APIs for Llama customization, and potential subscription or ad-based revenue from its Meta AI assistant. 

Internally, Meta has been pouring significant capital into AI development. The company’s 2024 generative AI budget surpassed $900 million, with expectations that it could exceed $1 billion in 2025 — not including a separate $60–$80 billion earmarked for infrastructure such as data centers. These figures reflect the massive scale at which Meta is positioning itself in the AI space. 

In 2023, Meta reportedly considered spending up to $200 million on acquiring licensed training data for Llama, half of which was allocated for book rights. However, plaintiffs argue the company chose to scrape copyrighted material from the web instead, fueling the current legal dispute. 

Meta has responded to the allegations by defending its AI development under the fair use doctrine, asserting its commitment to open innovation and AI accessibility. As the company ramps up investment and scales its generative AI products, the outcomes of these legal battles could significantly shape how AI platforms leverage content going forward. 

Source: 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/30/meta-forecasted-it-would-make-1-4t-in-revenue-from-generative-ai-by-2035/