Amazon engineers in Seattle slam employer for building AI data centers while laying off 30,000 staffers
Seattle City Council has approved a one-year moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers, allowing the city time to develop regulations. This decision came after Amazon engineers voiced concerns about the company's massive investment in AI infrastructure amid widespread layoffs. Two developers had already withdrawn proposals due to public outcry.
Amazon engineers appeared before the Seattle City Council to support regulations on AI data center development, criticizing Amazon's $200 billion investment in AI infrastructure this year while simultaneously laying off 30,000 corporate employees. Patrick Schloesser, an Amazon Web Services software engineer, highlighted that tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft are rapidly building compute capacity.
The Seattle City Council responded by unanimously approving a one-year moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers. This pause will allow the city to establish regulations for such projects. The decision followed public outcry and the withdrawal of proposals by two developers who had approached a local utility provider to build facilities in Seattle.
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company respects its employees' right to express opinions and confirmed that Amazon currently has no plans to construct data centers within Seattle city limits. The company reiterated its commitment to being a responsible neighbor in communities where it operates, focusing on economic development, water, and energy efficiency.
Schloesser, along with fellow Amazon engineers Liesl Wigand and Darius Irani, members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, urged officials to mandate renewable energy use for data centers and to prevent developers from using non-disclosure agreements or shell companies. They also called for commitments to good jobs and new taxes to fund city jobs when large layoffs occur, stressing the need for local governments to set terms for data center buildout.