This podcast episode dives deep into the critical role of Meta's global backbone network in facilitating AI advancements, illustrating how the increasing demand for AI capabilities has reshaped data traffic and requirements across the infrastructure. The discussion unfolds the complexities of the AI lifecycle, highlighting challenges in data replication and placement while presenting strategic solutions to optimize network efficiency. It emphasizes the importance of building purpose-built AI capacity and maintaining a holistic approach to infrastructure, ultimately revealing lessons learned and future directions for leveraging AI to enhance connectivity globally.