Amazon engineers in Seattle slam employer for building AI data centers while laying off 30,000 staffers
Amazon engineers in Seattle are advocating for regulations on AI data centers while the company lays off thousands of employees. They argue that the company's significant investment in AI infrastructure contrasts sharply with recent job cuts. Seattle officials have approved a moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers to address community concerns.
- ▪Amazon is reportedly spending $200 billion on capital, primarily for data centers and AI, while laying off 30,000 corporate employees.
- ▪Seattle City Council voted to impose a one-year moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers to allow for regulatory measures.
- ▪Amazon engineers are urging the city to require data center developers to use renewable energy and provide good jobs.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
A group of Amazon engineers appeared at Seattle City Council hearings on Wednesday to throw their support behind efforts to regulate the development of giant AI data centers in the area, which are getting constructed while their employer is engaged in mass layoffs. "It's been reported that this year, Amazon is spending $200 billion dollars on capital, with most of it going to data centers and AI," Patrick Schloesser, a software engineer at Amazon Web Services, said at a hearing. "Microsoft is spending $190 billion. Meanwhile, the leaders at my company have laid off 30,000 corporate employees in the last eight months.
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