Amazon expands AI chip sales while staff protest AI's environmental impact

Amazon Web Services is evaluating the possibility of selling its Trainium artificial‑intelligence accelerators to external customers. Senior AWS executive Peter DeSantis told Bloomberg that discussions are under way, although no potential buyers have been disclosed. Amazon estimates that a standalone chip business could generate roughly $50 billion in annual revenue, positioning the company as a larger competitor to Nvidia in the AI‑chip market.

Separately, a group of Amazon employees in Seattle publicly criticized the water and energy consumption of the company’s AI data‑center operations. After speaking before the Seattle City Council, the workers faced disciplinary investigations, with the union filing a complaint alleging violations of local labor protections. The dispute highlights internal tension over the environmental footprint of Amazon’s expanding AI infrastructure.