Meta is testing robots for hands-on work inside its data centers, according to Wired, which cites several current and former workers familiar with the projects. The reported experiments include robots that can plug in cables, reset servers, and perform other tasks normally handled by technicians. The work remains testing, not a reported fleetwide deployment. Wired says Meta is using hardware from multiple vendors, including Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB. Kinova and ABB declined to comment to Wired, Watney did not respond, and Meta declined to comment on the specific testing described in the report. The most concrete examples are narrow but operationally meaningful. Wired reports that Meta is evaluating whether a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm could be used for power cycling servers, meaning cutting and restoring electricity to a machine. The company is also reportedly testing a different robot for swapping networking cables. Wired also describes a simpler robot already adopted at some facilities: a finger-like device that can press the power button on a Mac Mini or another device when a human remotely prompts it. That is less ambitious than autonomous cable handling, but it points to the same underlying goal: moving physical interventions from on-site human action toward remotely triggered machinery. The labor implications are not settled, but they are central to the report. Wired quotes one Meta data-center worker estimating that, if successful, the cable-swapping robot could replace up to 80% of some people’s workloads. That is one worker’s estimate, not a company forecast, and should be treated as such. Still, Wired reports that the projects are fueling concern among some workers that physical data-center roles may be less protected from automation than they assumed. Meta’s public response pushed in the opposite direction. Spokesperson Francis Brennan told Wired that Meta is investing heavily in training and hiring workers to build and operate data centers, adding that the US faces a shortage of skilled workers and needs more workers, not fewer. The idea is not coming out of nowhere. Wired reports that Eric Xu, Meta’s senior manager for robotics, said at a conference last year that the company’s long-term goals include putting robots in data centers. According to Wired, Xu argued robots could help with incident response, environmental monitoring, and preventative maintenance, while saying more collaboration and research would be needed. The technical backdrop is that data-center robotics has historically been difficult. Wired reports that earlier industry trials were hindered by cost and reliability issues, including robots damaging servers while attempting simple tasks. The report says cheaper hardware and more capable AI models have changed the economics enough that several startups are now working on robots for server assembly, part swaps, and wire replacement. Who benefits: Robotics vendors named in Wired’s report, including Watney Robotics, Kinova, and ABB, could benefit if data-center automation moves beyond pilots. Hyperscale operators could benefit if robots improve response times or reduce reliance on scarce on-site labor. Who's exposed: Data-center technicians whose roles involve repetitive physical tasks such as resets and cable work may face workload changes if the tests prove reliable. Meta’s stated position, according to Wired, is that it is still investing in hiring and training data-center workers.