Amazon Faces Internal Backlash Over AI Expansion and $150 Billion Data Centre Plan

Amazon Faces Internal Backlash Over AI Expansion and $150 Billion Data Centre Plan
London, 7 November 2025
More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter to CEO Andy Jassy, warning that the company’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence is threatening jobs, climate commitments, and democratic values.
The protest comes as Amazon prepares to invest 150 billion USD over 15 years to build new data centres to support its AI ambitions.
🌍 Employees Accuse Amazon of Abandoning Climate Promises
Workers criticised Amazon for falling behind on its public pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
Despite its Climate Pledge commitments:
Amazon’s emissions have risen 35% since 2019
The company recently announced 14,000 job cuts
Several departments are accelerating AI automation to replace labour
Signatories argue that Amazon is “moving in the opposite direction of sustainability,” prioritising AI infrastructure expansion over environmental responsibility.
👁️ Concerns Over AI Ethics and Government Surveillance
The letter urges Amazon to adopt stricter safeguards on how its AI systems are used.
Employees demand that Amazon:
Power its new data centres with 100% renewable energy
Create an employee-led ethical AI board
Reject the use of its AI tools for mass surveillance or large-scale deportation programmes
Workers noted that Amazon Web Services is a major cloud provider for government and law-enforcement agencies, raising fears that advanced AI tools could be deployed in ways that undermine civil liberties.
🧩 FLASHOP Editorial Perspective
The revolt inside Amazon reflects a growing shift in the AI era:
“The debate is no longer about what AI can do, but what companies should allow it to do.”
As tech firms pour unprecedented capital into AI infrastructure, internal voices are now questioning the social, economic and environmental costs behind the innovation curve.
For platforms like FLASHOP, it underscores that ethical governance will be as important as technological capability in the decade ahead.