Amazon warns communities against blocking data centers, says US security at stake

AWS chief executive Matt Garman published a blog post of more than 3,000 words on the company's official site today calling on the public to back the construction of AI data centers, arguing that the United States cannot afford to lose the geopolitical race against rival nations. Garman writes that "our nation cannot afford to lose" this competition and warns that blocking projects will cause irreversible damage to the economy and national security.

According to Garman, alongside legitimate questions about the facilities' impact on employment, electricity consumption and the environment, "outright lies" and misinformation are gaining traction on social media. He points to widespread reports that foreign states are deliberately seeding misinformation in the United States to slow infrastructure build-out. Garman notes that more than a hundred moratoriums on data centers are currently under consideration across the country, and if approved, the United States will "record a generational-loss ticket."

The post includes a new commitment document titled "Data Center Commitment" in which Amazon codifies practices around job creation, preventing increases in local electricity rates, and an investment of more than a billion dollars in communities neighboring its facilities. The company presents the move as a direct response to residents' concerns, but does not detail enforcement mechanisms or binding timelines.

Another change Amazon reports: ending the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with local government authorities. The shift follows an investigation by Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, who examined secret deals between tech giants and local officials. David Zapolsky, senior vice president of global affairs and chief legal officer, told the Wall Street Journal that secrecy had been a historical "reflex" of the industry, and now "it simply doesn't make sense" to keep demanding it; community leaders need to share information with residents.

Against this backdrop, polls show a sharp decline in public support for AI data centers, and communities where facilities are being built are stepping up opposition. Concerns extend beyond environmental and infrastructure impact to the safety of artificial intelligence itself and the societal consequences if the technology develops without oversight. Amazon is trying to get ahead of the backlash with an ostensibly binding document, but without transparency on performance metrics or a complaint mechanism, the commitments remain a statement of intent.