Facebook wants to “build the future of AI” from Switzerland

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recently criticized for his decision to forgo fact-checking on Facebook and for his rapprochement with Donald Trump. Despite these controversies, the group continues its expansion in Switzerland with new offices.

Stefan Ehrbar / ch media

In recent weeks, Mark Zuckerberg has lost a lot of support. In the United States, he announced plans to remove fact-checking on Facebook. Additionally, like many other major tech companies, Meta contributed generously to Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. By affirming that more “masculine energy” was needed in companies, Mark Zuckerberg positioned himself to the right of the political spectrum.

But at the group’s Swiss subsidiary in Zurich, politics has little place, expansion is the order of the day.

New offices for nearly 180 employees

Near the Sihlcity shopping center, and therefore close to its current location on Giesshübelstrasse in Zurich, Meta Switzerland GmbH has rented new offices with space for around 180 employees. This information comes from a building permit application published at the beginning of the year.

The offices will be adapted to Meta’s specific needs by July. The company plans to invest around 3.7 million Swiss francs in this work. Among the planned improvements are new cooling equipment for the server room as well as more modern access turnstiles.

Meta did not wish to answer our questions concerning the number of employees who will work in these new premises, nor on the projects which will be carried out there. The company also did not specify whether these offices will only accommodate existing positions or whether new hires are planned.

In 2022, Meta probably had between 200 and 300 employees in Zurich. The wave of massive layoffs that hit the company at the time only marginally affected the Swiss site, but very few new positions have been created since. This trend looks set to change, with almost 20 new job openings currently posted for Zurich.

Meta’s Zurich subsidiary focuses primarily on the development of artificial intelligence. On its job portal, Meta describes the Zurich office as a “highly specialized location” where engineers and researchers work on projects related to virtual reality:

Criticism of the arrival of tech giants

In recent years, Zurich has become an attractive hub for technology companies. Google was one of the pioneers by opening its first Swiss office more than 20 years ago, and today employs around 5,000 people.

The world leader in artificial intelligence (AI), Nvidia, has been present in Zurich since its acquisition in 2008 of a start-up from ETHZ. According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)Nvidia now has more than 200 employees on site. Other big names like Disney and Apple also have research teams in the city. Recently, AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic announced their expansion to Zurich.

However, the establishment of these companies also attracts criticism. Although their employees are generally well paid and contribute heavily to tax revenue, the companies themselves pay relatively little tax in Switzerland and Zurich. According to an analysis of Daily Gazettetechnology companies contributed only a fraction of the city of Zurich’s tax revenue in 2023, despite high profits per employee. They paid five times less taxes than the banks.

The news in Switzerland is here

Translated and adapted from German by Tanja Maeder

Elected officials from the Center declare one after the other that they want to give up running for the Federal Council. The highest political office in the country has clearly lost its appeal. What is happening?

Become a federal councilor? No, thank you! Within the Center, the favorites are withdrawing one after the other from the race to succeed Viola Amherd. The Friborg State Councilor Isabelle Chassot? She doesn’t want to. The St. Gallen States Councilor Beni Würth? Don’t want to either. Gerhard Pfister, still party president? He declines.