Days after Chinese upstart DeepSeek revealed a breakthrough in cheap AI computing that shook the U.S. technology industry, the chief executives of Microsoft and Meta defended massive spending that they said was key to staying competitive in the new field.

Meta Platforms’ fourth-quarter revenue beat Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, but the company predicted sales in the current first quarter may not meet forecasts, sending mixed signals about how bets on pricey artificial intelligence-powered tools are paying off.