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More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing serious concerns about the company’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). These workers warn that Amazon’s fast-paced, cost-driven AI rollout will harm jobs, democracy, and the environment. The letter, which was published recently, highlights critical issues around AI-related layoffs, increasing workload pressures, and climate impacts from new data centers. Employees from various departments, including engineers, product managers, and warehouse associates, signed the letter anonymously due to fear of retaliation. Our research team closely follows developments like this as they shape the future of technology and work.
Amazon Workers Warn About AI’s Impact on Jobs and Workplace Pressure
The letter from more than 1,000 Amazon employees criticizes the company’s “warp-speed” AI rollout. Workers say this approach creates intense pressure for productivity gains, often at the expense of staff wellbeing and job security. Employees report being pushed to use AI tools heavily to keep up with ever-higher quotas. One senior software engineer, who has worked at Amazon for over ten years, revealed that leadership increasingly imposes arbitrary productivity metrics that rely on AI to justify longer hours and tighter deadlines. They described feeling pushed to work harder and faster without sufficient support or consideration of practical limits.
Amazon employees also highlight that these pressures come alongside widespread layoffs driven by AI adoption in various departments. Staff worry the company uses AI as a rationale to reduce workforce size while expecting remaining workers to double their output. This imbalance contributes to a culture where employees feel surveillance increases and job stability decreases. Software engineers and customer researchers alike describe anxiety about falling behind if they do not quickly embrace AI tools in their daily tasks. This environment creates a sense of “sink or swim,” particularly for those less comfortable or experienced with these technologies.
We view these concerns as part of a broader conversation emerging in tech companies. Many workers who build and use AI feel the technology’s implementation demands scrutiny to avoid harmful effects such as unfair labor practices and ethically questionable productivity targets.
Read more on our article, “Elon Musk Predicts AI Will Make Work Optional Soon”, published on November 23rd, 2025, SquaredTech.
Environmental Concerns Over Amazon’s AI Infrastructure Expansion
Beyond job and workplace issues, the letter emphasizes serious environmental concerns linked to Amazon’s escalating AI investments. The company has announced plans to spend $150 billion on data centers over the next 15 years, including recent commitments of billions of dollars to build facilities in northern Indiana and Mississippi. These data centers, essential to power resource-intensive AI systems, consume massive amounts of electricity. Workers signed the letter to highlight that these expansions risk undermining Amazon’s public climate promises.
Since 2019, Amazon’s annual carbon emissions have reportedly risen by approximately 35%, despite its pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. The letter stresses that many new data centers will be located in regions relying heavily on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, causing additional environmental damage. Employees fear these AI infrastructure investments will force local utilities to maintain or increase fossil fuel use rather than transition to renewable energy.
A customer researcher involved in the letter criticized Amazon’s AI investments as primarily benefiting surveillance and commercial exploitation rather than climate solutions. They stated that instead of funding genuinely sustainable AI innovations, Amazon is financing energy-hungry data centers running on fossil fuels to maximize profits. This critique challenges the company’s messaging that AI development aligns with its climate goals.
In response, an Amazon spokesperson emphasized the company’s leadership in data center efficiency and renewable energy purchasing. They highlighted Amazon’s global renewable projects and investments in nuclear energy technology as evidence of genuine efforts toward the Climate Pledge commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. We recommend closely monitoring how these technology giants reconcile rapid AI growth with environmental responsibility.
Calls for Worker Involvement and Ethical AI Deployment
The letter demands Amazon create a working group composed of non-manager employees who have significant input on organizational goals related to AI. Staff want decision-making power over AI usage, potential layoffs, and the environmental impact of their work. The employees stress their goal is not to oppose AI outright but to advocate for responsible development that includes worker voices.
Many Amazon staff have experienced firsthand the challenges of rushed AI deployment. For example, a senior engineer described involvement in a project where AI-generated code was ineffectively applied, causing wasted effort and confusion. This example highlights the imperfect outcomes when AI tools are implemented without adequate support or scaled understanding.
Employees urge Amazon to power all data centers fully with clean energy to align AI expansion with climate responsibility. They also call for strict policies ensuring AI products do not enable harmful activities such as surveillance abuse or violations of human rights. The letter reflects a growing demand for transparency and fairness in how AI influences workplace practices and the environment.
We recognize the significance of these employee voices. By sharing their experience, these Amazon workers provide insight into the real-world impacts of AI beyond corporate profit margins and marketing. Their requests echo the broader need within the tech industry to balance innovation with ethical labor standards and environmental stewardship.
Our research team continues to monitor developments concerning AI’s role within major corporations, especially when they intersect with worker rights and sustainability. The Amazon workers’ letter is a powerful reminder that technology’s benefits must be carefully weighed against social and environmental costs. Squaredtech supports ongoing dialogue and analysis to ensure AI advances are responsible, equitable, and sustainable for communities worldwide.
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