Thousands of Amazon Employees Sign Open Letter Urging CEO to Address Grievances

In an open letter to CEO Andy Jassy, more than a thousand Amazon employees urged the business to slow down its rapid implementation of artificial intelligence. Under the aegis of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), the workers criticised the company's "warp-speed," claiming it was too preoccupied with increasing profits or developing technology while neglecting the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence.

According to the letter, Amazon employees are very concerned about this fast rollout during our most critical years to address the climate disaster and the development of authoritarianism worldwide. They think that the warp-speed, all-costs-justified approach to AI development will cause enormous harm to the Earth, democracy, and their jobs.

Employees Sidelined Amazon’s Claims

According to the employees' letter, Amazon claims to aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, yet since 2019, its emissions have increased by 35%. Amazon plans to invest $150 billion in new AI data centres, but they have blocked laws that would have required data centres to use clean energy, and many of these will be in drought-prone areas, using limited water supplies, and requiring energy that could keep coal or gas plants operating, they added. Carbon emissions result from oil corporations using AWS (Amazon Web Services) to drill for additional oil and gas.

Additionally, according to the letter, Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, wants more AI tools and "agents"—which may mean fewer human employees. According to his assertions, the remaining occupations will be "exciting and fun", but in practice, employees said that the use of AI would result in increased workloads, shorter deadlines, and duties that might waste time or resources.

As per the letter, Amazon is even contesting the National Labour Relations Board, which defends the rights of employees. According to the letter, Amazon has been lobbying against government regulation of AI for ten years as part of a larger network of major corporations, including Meta, Microsoft, and Google. Additionally, Jeff Bezos controls The Washington Post, which allows him to control media coverage and how the general public views artificial intelligence.

Employees Demand for More Sustainable Ecosystem

Employees at Amazon demand that the firm act right away: no AI developed using dirty energy, no AI developed without employee participation, and no AI used for mass deportations, violence, or surveillance. They specifically want Amazon to cease developing AI tools for oil and gas firms, power all data centres with sustainable energy, and establish ethical AI working groups that allow workers to truly influence the use of AI.

The letter has been signed by at least 1,039 Amazon employees thus far, and the number is still rising. Additionally, more than 2,400 non-Amazon users have signed to express their support. These include employees of other large corporations, including SpaceX, Boeing, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Uber, Salesforce, Cisco, Oracle, Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and the Washington Post.