Squawk Pod Episode Summary: Meta’s Joel Kaplan at Davos 2026

Episode Title: Davos 2026: Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special episode from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, CNBC’s Squawk Box anchors Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin sit down with Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer for Meta. The conversation delves into Meta’s ambitious investment in AI infrastructure, the integration of AI through wearables, the geopolitics of the AI race—particularly against China—and navigating shifting regulatory and geopolitical headwinds in the US and Europe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meta’s AI Ambition: Personal Superintelligence

• Kaplan presents Meta’s vision for AI:
  • “Our ambition is to build personal superintelligence, which means putting superintelligence in the hands of everyone.” — Joel Kaplan [01:04, 03:46]
  • Meta serves 3.5 billion users daily, giving it unparalleled scale to deploy AI advancements.
• Platform and Form Factor:
  • Meta’s strategic edge involves integrating AI with wearables, specifically through existing partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley.
  • Kaplan: “Glasses...let the AI see what you see, hear what you hear, talk to you throughout the day. So we think that's the right form factor to bring AI to people.” [05:01]

2. Massive AI Investment & Financing Strategy

• $600 Billion Infrastructure Build-Out:
  • Meta is investing heavily in data centers and AI infrastructure, with a notable emphasis on clean energy, especially nuclear.
• Funding Approach:
  • Kaplan refrains from detailed financial disclosures but emphasizes Meta’s strong core business foundation and diverse strategic capital approaches, including working with partners like Blue Owl for private credit. [03:13–04:25]

3. Competing in the AI Race: Llama, Distribution, and Catch-Up

• Competitive Landscape:
  • Discussion of OpenAI, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s own Llama model.
• Distribution as an Advantage:
  • Meta’s expansive user base (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram) provides unique “surface area” for AI rollout.
  • Kaplan highlights that “We already have a billion monthly active users using Meta AI across our services.” [05:58]
  • Commitment to matching frontier model capabilities and enhancing product innovation in 2026.

4. Political & Regulatory Headwinds (US, EU, China)

• US Policy Support & China Competition:
  • Trump administration is credited by Kaplan for clearing barriers to American AI leadership, such as facilitating permitting for data center and energy infrastructure investment.
  • “President Trump...has been really focused on maintaining American leadership in AI and making sure that we win the AI race against China.” [06:35]
  • Framing the AI race as both an economic and national security imperative, with all Western democracies at stake. [01:40, 08:31, 09:09]
• Navigating Europe’s Regulatory Landscape:
  • Ongoing challenges with EU regulation, described as “discriminatory,” have been countered by US diplomatic support.
  • Tariffs discussed, but Meta continues to pursue European market growth. [07:27]

5. National Champions & Fragmentation of Global Tech

• Shift from Global Neutrality:
  • Sorkin observes a shift—tech companies moving away from global neutrality towards becoming national “champions” due to geopolitics.
  • Kaplan responds: “We’re an American company that serves the world...It’s very important that we win this battle against China...but all of the Western democracies have a stake in.” [08:31]
• Warning on Fragmentation:
  • Concerns about splintering international alignment, echoed by guest Ray Dalio, with Kaplan arguing for harmonization, especially in regulatory approaches. [09:02–09:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Meta’s Core AI Goal:
  • “Our ambition is to build personal superintelligence, which means putting superintelligence in the hands of everyone.”
    — Joel Kaplan [01:04, 03:46]
• Wearables as AI’s Next Platform:
  • “We've got a real lead on wearables, which we think is going to be the next computing technology that actually brings that personal superintelligence to bear.”
    — Joel Kaplan [01:23, 05:01]
• On US-China AI Race:
  • “It's the most critical battle that we'll have over the coming years for both our national and economic security. But that's a battle that not only the US but all of the Western democracies have a stake in.”
    — Joel Kaplan [01:40, 08:31]
• Distribution as Superpower:
  • “You have amazing surface area. ...The question is how that ultimately translates into the place I go to to either chat with a bot or to do other things for me.”
    — Andrew Ross Sorkin [05:34]
• Meta's AI User Base:
  • “Right now we already have a billion monthly active users using Meta AI across our services.”
    — Joel Kaplan [05:58]
• Regulatory Navigation:
  • “We've had the advantage that President Bush, excuse me, President Trump, since he came into office, has been really focused on maintaining American leadership in AI...”
    — Joel Kaplan [06:35]
• Fragmentation of Global Tech:
  • “Now there's such an emphasis on national champions ... you see a splintering of all of it. How does Meta...work through that?”
    — Andrew Ross Sorkin [07:55]
• Closing Banter:
  • Andrew: “How many times can the world end?” [09:41]
  • Cameron Costa: “Once.” [09:49]
  • Joel Kaplan: “That week.” [09:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:04] – Kaplan outlines Meta’s personal superintelligence ambition.
• [03:15–04:25] – Financing Meta’s $600B AI infrastructure; working with private credit partners.
• [05:01–05:58] – Wearables and AI, Meta’s “surface area” advantage and current AI user adoption.
• [06:19–07:27] – Political and regulatory headwinds in US and Europe; navigating administration changes and EU regulation.
• [07:55–09:09] – Discussion of national champions, splintering of global tech landscape, and the need for Western alignment.
• [09:35–09:56] – Wrap-up, light-hearted banter.

Overall Tone & Takeaway

The episode blends high-level strategic discussion with pragmatic insight into AI’s political, technological, and business future. Kaplan reiterates Meta’s dual identity as both a global and distinctly American company, emphasizes the unique advantages of platform distribution and wearable tech, and underscores the existential importance of “winning” the AI race—not just for Meta, but for the West collectively.

Listeners gain a comprehensive, candid look at how one of the world’s most influential tech giants is navigating a rapidly evolving technological race shaped as much by geopolitics as by innovation.