More than 1,000 employees at Amazoave signed an open letter raising alarms over the company’s aggressive AI expansion strategy. The workers accuse the company of prioritizing rapid innovation over ethical and environmental responsibility, warning that the “warp speed” adoption of artificial intelligence threatens democracy, employment stability, and climate commitments.
The letter, released anonymously, comes just weeks after Amazon initiated major layoffs, reportedly linked to its increasing reliance on AI-driven automation. Signatories include software engineers, product designers, and warehouse staff, showing the widespread unease across departments about the corporate direction under heightened pressure to compete in the AI arms race.
Support for the letter extended beyond Amazon’s workforce, with more than 2,400 tech professionals from Meta , Google , Apple , and Microsoft
signing in solidarity. They noted that Amazon’s “profit-first” approach to AI reflects a broader industry pattern of innovation without meaningful public or environmental accountability.
The letter demands Amazon ensure all AI initiatives align with ethical labor practices and meaningful climate action. Workers are calling for AI development teams to be partially governed by employee-led committees to review ethical use, minimize layoffs tied to automation, and scrutinize projects that risk amplifying surveillance or environmental degradation.
Organized by the advocacy group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, the campaign highlights frustration among staff who view the company’s environmental initiatives as inconsistent with its growing energy demands. Many workers describe firsthand experiences where AI tools increased workload intensity, undermined job security, and made existing sustainability promises seem hollow.
One engineer cited rising productivity demands justified by AI integration, saying leadership uses algorithmic tools to impose unrealistic performance goals. Employees claim that AI now serves as both a management instrument and a pretext for workplace speedups, creating fear of reprisal for those who resist or question its fairness.
The letter criticizes Amazon for backtracking on its climate promises, accusing it of investing in fossil-fuel-reliant AI infrastructure while touting sustainability slogans. The company plans to spend $150 billion building new data centers globally, including multibillion-dollar projects in Indiana and Mississippi, which employees fear will worsen carbon emissions.
According to internal reports, Amazon’s overall emissions have grown about 35% since 2019, despite its commitment to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040. Employees argue that new data center expansions are being located in regions where electricity grids still depend heavily on coal and gas, jeopardizing community health and climate policy efforts.
An Amazon researcher involved in the letter described the rapid AI expansion as “a technological gold rush without guardrails.” He claimed that AI projects being developed often prioritize profit and surveillance over positive social impact. Workers warn that such systems risk entrenching corporate power while draining natural resources and eroding labor rights.
In response, an Amazon spokesperson defended the company’s environmental record, emphasizing that Amazon is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy. The company claims ongoing investments in energy-efficient data centers, hydro, solar, and new nuclear technologies demonstrate meaningful progress toward its Climate Pledge for carbon neutrality by 2040.
Still, internal critics say leadership’s faith in AI as a productivity multiplier is misplaced. Several employees recounted that AI tools are frequently unreliable and create additional workload due to quality issues. Developers reportedly spend considerable time correcting AI-generated code, offsetting supposed efficiency gains and adding stress to already overextended teams.
The movement’s organizers stress they are not anti-AI but advocate for ethical governance and democratic input in its rollout. Their message resonates across the tech sector, where mounting job insecurity and ecological pressure collide with the accelerating pace of the AI economy. For Amazon, staff say, the choice between speed and sustainability remains unresolved.
