A group of Amazon shareholders has filed a proposal asking Amazon to publish a report on how its sale and deployment of AI services align with its "Responsible AI Approach."
The request references, in particular, the use of AWS services in Gaza by the Israeli military and by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
The proposal has been filed by at least 30 shareholders, led by the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, representing more than $59 million in Amazon stock. It requests that Amazon use the report to "identify gaps, assess high-risk use cases, and evaluate whether Amazon’s policies and oversight mechanisms are adequate to prevent misuse and mitigate human rights and legal risks," in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
AWS has long been providing cloud computing and AI technology to the Israeli government, having won the $1.2bn Nimbus contract in April 2021.
Following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, and the subsequent war in Gaza that has seen more than 70,000 Palestinians killed, investigations revealed that the Israel Defense Forces were using AWS to power their efforts in the ongoing war in Gaza, Palestine.
It has also subsequently been reported that AWS' contract terms under Project Nimbus prevented the company from suspending or limiting services to the government even in the case of misuse. Amazon has been known to suspend employees who voice dissatisfaction with the Israeli contracts.
The UN Commission found in September of this year that Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide.
The shareholder proposal also notes the use of AWS services by ICE. AWS hosts critical Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems used in immigration enforcement, including data-analytic tools that support monitoring, detention, and deportation operations. The company was previously called on by human rights groups in 2022 to end its contract with the department.
The shareholder proposal goes on to suggest that strengthening governance structures and implementing "meaningful human rights diligence" are critical to the company remaining "resilient in the face of mounting regulatory, legal, and societal requirements and expectations."
DCD has reached out to AWS for comment.
Microsoft shareholders previously conducted a similar effort, with more than 60 shareholders calling for the company to explore the conduct in Israel and whether they conformed to human rights laws.