More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter raising alarm over the company’s aggressive pursuit of artificial intelligence, warning that the strategy poses risks to democracy, jobs and the environment, The Guardian reported on Friday.
The letter — published on Wednesday and signed anonymously by employees — criticises what it describes as Amazon’s “all-costs justified, warp-speed” acceleration of AI development. Signatories include corporate engineers, product managers and warehouse associates from across the company.
According to the letter, Amazon’s current trajectory threatens to reshape the workplace in ways that could lead to widespread job losses, erode democratic values and intensify ecological damage.
Employees demand climate-safe, responsible AI rollout
The workers outlined several demands aimed at ensuring both ethical and sustainable deployment of AI. They called on Amazon to:
- Power all data centres with clean and renewable energy
- Prevent its AI products from being used for violence, surveillance or mass deportation
- Create a working group of non-managerial employees with meaningful oversight on whether and how AI should be implemented in their teams, including decisions on layoffs or hiring freezes linked to AI
- Establish safeguards to minimize environmental harm linked to AI operations
Concerns over climate commitments
The letter further accuses the company of abandoning its climate pledges in favour of AI expansion. According to employees, Amazon’s annual carbon emissions have climbed approximately 35% since 2019, despite the company’s commitment that same year to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Workers warn that Amazon’s accelerated investment in AI infrastructure will increase energy demand in certain regions, potentially forcing utilities to keep coal plants running or construct new gas-fired power plants.
Job cuts linked to AI expansion
The concerns come just a month after reports that Amazon plans to slash as many as 30,000 corporate roles, with layoffs tied partly to increased reliance on AI tools. The company later confirmed that 14,000 positions will be cut as it reverses the pandemic-era hiring surge and seeks to reduce costs.
While Amazon has defended its AI strategy as vital for future competitiveness and productivity, the employee letter urges leadership to balance innovation with accountability and social responsibility.