Over 1,000 Amazon Employees Warn AI Rollout Threatens Jobs and Climate Goals

Over 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing deep concerns about the company’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The letter warns that the firm’s “all-costs justified, warp-speed” approach could harm democracy, workers’ livelihoods, and the environment.

The letter, published on November 27, comes a month after Amazon announced mass layoffs and intensifying AI integration across its operations. Signatories include engineers, product managers, and warehouse associates, reflecting concerns across multiple roles. The initiative also drew support from over 2,400 employees at companies such as Meta, Google, Apple, and Microsoft.

Key Worker Demands

Amazon employees are calling for measures to ensure AI development is ethical, sustainable, and worker-inclusive. Their demands include:

• Powering all data centers with clean energy to reduce emissions.
• Preventing AI products from enabling violence, surveillance, or forced deportations.
• Creating a non-managerial working group to guide AI deployment, oversee layoffs or headcount freezes, and mitigate environmental impacts.

Organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, the letter highlights pressures on staff to increase productivity using AI tools. Employees report being asked to perform twice as much work due to AI efficiency expectations, while fewer staff are available to meet growing demands.

Climate Concerns

The letter also warns that Amazon’s AI expansion conflicts with its climate goals. The company plans to invest $150 billion in data centers over 15 years, including $15 billion in Indiana and $3 billion in Mississippi. Critics say these energy-intensive centers will rely on fossil fuels in some regions, pushing utilities to continue coal or gas operations.

Amazon has defended its approach, citing its position as the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy and ongoing investments in nuclear and clean energy. A spokesperson emphasized the company’s Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

AI for Productivity and Workplace Pressure

Workers emphasized that AI is being deployed as a tool to maximize output, often at the cost of well-being. Some employees reported receiving pressure from management to use AI for coding, writing, and daily tasks, with implicit warnings about falling behind if they don’t comply.

Employees stressed that they do not oppose AI outright, but want its deployment to be ethical, sustainable, and inclusive of worker input. “There is a culture of fear around openly discussing AI drawbacks,” said a senior software engineer who helped draft the letter. “We want to show that another path is possible—one that protects workers, communities, and the environment.”