Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) AWS, said Friday he wants the company to spell out, more directly, how data centers already sit behind everyday digital habits.
Garman pointed to streaming as an example of what communities are effectively choosing when they oppose new facilities.
Garman Says ‘Need To Be More Vocal’
In an interview on the "A16z Show" podcast, Garman said a simple way to frame the tradeoff is to ask residents whether they still want services like Netflix, then connect that answer to the infrastructure required to deliver them.
He also argued the industry should talk more plainly about what it provides, saying, "I think we need to be more vocal and be more upfront because we actually do a ton that’s really beneficial."
Garman’s push for clearer messaging comes as opposition to AI-related data centers shows up in polling. A Fox News survey conducted last month found 71% of registered voters said they opposed building a data center in their area to support AI development, according to a report by Business Insider.
Netflix has used Amazon’s cloud for years, and its 2025 annual report said it runs "the vast majority of our computing on AWS," while warning that moving to another provider would be difficult.
Garman has also argued against data center moratoriums, saying they could choke off what he described as a historic infrastructure expansion and weaken U.S. competitiveness in AI
Concerns about the speed and cost of the AI buildout have also been echoed by investors and banks tracking capital spending.
Michael Burry Says Tech Firms Spending Money ‘Wildly’
Investor Michael Burry said earlier this month that major tech firms were pouring money into data centers "wildly" because they expect to become an oligopoly that is too important to fail, and JPMorgan has projected AI capex could reach $1 trillion in 2027.
He said that if you told the communities, "By the way, your tax bill is $5,000 less than it would otherwise be if we weren’t here," adding that "they might have a little bit of different thought about the building that’s over there."
Bernie Sanders Calls For AI Development Pause
His comments landed as Bernie Sanders warned on X that Congress must pause advanced AI development now, arguing that unchecked AI could endanger systems people depend on.
Sanders cast that risk in stark terms, writing, "Big Tech oligarchs are secretly preparing for a ‘catastrophic AI event’ that could threaten our banking, healthcare, internet, electricity and water systems," and he also said, "They’re racing to build a technology they can’t control and that threatens humanity."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com
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