In one of the largest internal protests in the tech industry, over 1,000 Amazon employees have sent an open letter to CEO Andy Jassy and his team, voicing strong opposition to the company's rapid deployment of artificial intelligence. This movement includes a diverse group of workers, such as engineers, product managers, and warehouse associates, with support from employees at major firms like Microsoft, Google, Meta, Apple, Uber, and Salesforce.
What Does the Open Letter by Amazon Employees Say?
The employees express serious concerns that Amazon's aggressive AI rollout is occurring during a critical time of rising authoritarianism and the urgent need to address the climate crisis. They argue that this warp-speed approach to AI development could cause staggering damage to democracy, their jobs, and the Earth. This protest follows Amazon's recent announcement of mass layoffs, which the company links to increased reliance on AI.
Workers accuse Amazon of abandoning its climate goals in pursuit of becoming an AI-first company. Despite Amazon's commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, employees claim that the company's annual emissions have surged by approximately 35% since 2019, with the AI race exacerbating this gap. Amazon plans to invest $150 billion in building new data centers for AI, raising further environmental alarms.
Employees allege that Amazon is forcing them to use AI tools, shortening output timelines, and mandating AI use in wasteful scenarios without adequate investment in career advancement. They warn that this could lead to a future where it's easier to discard human workers. The letter demands that Amazon ensure its AI-powered products and services do not enable violence, surveillance, or mass deportation.
To address these issues, the employees call for Amazon to implement a comprehensive plan, including:
- Powering all data centers with 100% additional, local renewable energy, 24/7
- Ending custom AI solutions for oil and gas companies that accelerate oil drilling
- Publishing a detailed, science-backed glidepath to meet climate commitments
Additionally, they emphasize the need for ethical AI working groups composed of non-managers across the company to guide responsible development. The letter concludes with a hopeful vision, stating that the promised gains from AI should grant everyone more freedom for leisure, creativity, and safety, underscoring the importance of establishing guardrails to mitigate AI's costs.
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