Amazon’s investigative engineers criticized the expansion of the AI data center
People walk past The Spheres in downtown Seattle, Washington, on June 25, 2025.
Juan Mabromata AFP | Getty Images
This group Amazon engineers say they are being investigated by the company after criticizing the expansion of intelligence data centers and calling for stricter government enforcement.
Earlier this month, five Amazon employees testified at Seattle City Council meetings where officials sought public feedback on a year-long freeze on construction of large data centers to give the city time to regulate the projects. Seattle passed the resolution by a unanimous vote on June 9.
Activists have criticized the massive spending of AI by tech companies, describing it as “all-cost AI that is constructive.”
After the hearing, the three Amazon employees were invited separately to Zoom meetings with a labor attorney who said he was investigating concerns raised about their testimony, according to a complaint filed Friday with the Seattle Office of Human Rights.
The employees were informed that the investigation could lead to disciplinary action, the complaint states, and one employee was told that the disciplinary action could lead to an appointment.
Amazon’s questioning made workers feel “intimidated and uncertain about their future employment,” according to the complaint, which was filed by attorneys representing the workers.
“They also discovered that Amazon was looking into their political representation before the Seattle City Council and wanted to identify additional employees who were engaged in political activities,” the complaint states.
The complaint accuses Amazon of violating a Seattle law that prohibits companies from discriminating against employees based on their political opinions, race, religion and age, among other things.
Amazon previously told CNBC that the company respects its employees’ right to express their opinions.
Amazon spokeswoman Margaret Callahan said in a statement that the company does not allow employees to speak on behalf of Amazon without following certain procedures.
As it looked at how the workers represented themselves and how their opinions were received, the company determined that they may have been speaking “as Amazonians and not as private citizens,” Callahan said.
“We believe it is important to apply our policies consistently, just as we do for anyone else, we investigate whether there have been violations of our policies and may take action based on what we find,” Callahan said in a statement.
Callahan denied the company had plans to lay off workers or told workers they were at risk of being fired. He added that Amazon does not tolerate retaliation.
The workers are part of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group of current and former employees who have repeatedly pressed the company on its climate, labor management and other issues.
The two employees who founded AECJ were fired by the company in 2020 for “repeated violations of internal policies” after publicly criticizing the company, including airing calls to protect Amazon workers from the coronavirus. Amazon in 2021 settled with the workers after filing a complaint with the human resources director.
Recently, the AECJ urged Amazon to be “more responsible” in its AI rollout, and to “get the truth about the costs of AI and the roadblocks we need.”
Amazon has committed to spending up to $200 billion this year on capital expenditures, particularly on AI infrastructure. At the same time, it has laid off 30,000 company employees since October, which is part of CEO Andy Jassy’s effort to turn Amazon into “the biggest startup in the world.”
AI data centers have been the target of growing backlash across the country. A recent Gallup poll found that seven out of 10 Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their area, with most respondents citing concerns about the facility’s environmental impact and harm to quality of life.
Darius Irani, an Amazon employee of more than five years, said in a statement that he does not regret speaking at the hearing.
“All I did was testify because I believe it is important for the government to control data centers and AI,” said Irani. “Workers must participate in these discussions.”
