Amazon Workers Sound Alarm: AI Rollout Puts Jobs and Climate at Risk

Amazon Employees Voice Concerns Over AI Implementation

More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing serious concerns about the company's rapid AI development, warning that its "all-costs justified, warp speed" approach could harm democracy, jobs, and the environment.

Published recently, the letter was signed anonymously by Amazon workers, including engineers, product managers, and warehouse associates, just a month after Amazon announced mass layoff plans tied to increased AI adoption. It also gained support from over 2,400 workers at companies like Meta, Google, Apple, and Microsoft, highlighting broader industry-wide AI concerns.

Key Demands from Employees

Workers are calling on Amazon to:

• Power all data centers with clean energy.
• Ensure AI products do not enable violence, surveillance, or mass deportation.
• Establish a working group of non-managers to oversee AI use, layoffs, and environmental impacts.

Organized by the advocacy group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, the letter stems from negative workplace experiences with AI tools and environmental worries. A senior software engineer with over a decade at Amazon shared, "I signed due to leadership's push for arbitrary productivity metrics using AI, forcing longer hours and tighter deadlines."

Climate Impact Accusations

The letter accuses Amazon of abandoning climate goals to fuel AI growth. As part of the generative AI race, Amazon is investing heavily in data centers, planning $150 billion over 15 years, including recent commitments of $15 billion in Indiana and $3 billion in Mississippi. These centers are resource-intensive, requiring high electricity, and the letter claims Amazon's emissions have grown by about 35% since 2019, despite a 2040 net-zero pledge. It warns that AI infrastructure investments may force utilities to keep coal plants running or build new gas plants, exacerbating climate issues.

An Amazon customer researcher noted, "AI is code for less worker power and resource hoarding, not climate solutions. Amazon's spending on data centers aims to surveil and exploit, not save the planet." In response, Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser defended the company, highlighting its leadership in data center efficiency, status as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, and investments in nuclear energy as progress toward climate goals.

Workplace Pressures and AI Productivity

Employees report being pressured to use AI tools for productivity gains, with managers emphasizing adoption for tasks like coding and writing. A software engineer described expectations to "do twice as much work because of AI tools," noting that the tools often fail to bridge efficiency gaps, leading to unsustainable demands. Another worker shared experiences of cleaning up after AI-generated code failures, where starting from scratch would have been easier.

Workers stress they are not anti-AI but advocate for sustainable development with employee input. The senior software engineer added, "Amazon uses AI to justify power grabs over resources and workers, fostering a culture of fear. This letter shows many feel this way and that a better path is possible." Amazon did not address these workplace critiques.