Amazon engineers publicly criticized the company's aggressive investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure during a Seattle City Council hearing on Wednesday as local officials moved forward with a proposal to temporarily halt the development of new large-scale data centers within city limits.
The criticism took place during a meeting of the Seattle City Council's Land Use and Sustainability Committee, which unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new AI-focused data center projects while the city studies their potential impact on infrastructure, utility systems, public health and the local economy. The measure now heads to the full council for consideration.
