Amazon Employees Face Termination After Testifying for Data Center Limits
The Verge AI39 days agoIncidentThree Amazon software engineers who testified at Seattle City Council hearings about data center limitations are now accusing Amazon of retaliating against them with disciplinary action. The engineers invoked a Seattle law protecting employees from discrimination based on political speech before testifying. Amazon initiated disciplinary proceedings against them just one week after their June 3rd testimony.
Tech Worker-Backed PAC Guardrails Challenges Big Tech's AI Lobbying Machine
TechCrunch AI39 days agoRegulationA new political action committee called Guardrails, backed by everyday tech workers, has assembled roughly $5 million to push back against Big Tech companies spending an estimated $100 million to shape AI policy. Positioning itself as a grassroots, populist counterweight, Guardrails draws its funding from small donations by people working inside the AI industry. The effort highlights a growing internal rift in tech, where rank-and-file workers increasingly oppose the political agendas of the companies employing them.
Sriram Krishnan is leaving his role as White House AI advisor
TechCrunch AI51 days agoRegulationSriram Krishnan is reportedly leaving his role as a White House AI policy advisor at the end of June. Reports say he has discussed launching a new policy institution staffed with engineers to support Trump administration AI plans. Public details remain limited, so the significance is mainly about personnel movement and a possible new outside channel for shaping U.S. AI policy.
Giant data center plan cut 50% amid protests
Ars Technica AI52 days agoBusinessArs Technica reports that a giant data center plan was cut by 50 percent amid protests. The developer said it felt “beaten up” and had “no choice” but to shrink the project. The case highlights how AI and cloud infrastructure expansion can be constrained not only by capital and engineering, but also by local opposition and public acceptance.