Amazon ends secret data center pacts and pledges $1 billion to host towns

What happened

Amazon will no longer require nondisclosure agreements (NDA) with government agencies involved in its data center (a building full of computers that runs online services) projects and will adhere to its new Data Center Commitment program designed to address mounting opposition to AI infrastructure, it disclosed on Friday in a blog post . The company also unveiled plans to invest more than $1 billion over five years in communities hosting its facilities.

No NDAs Amazon's decision to no longer require NDAs from government officials working with it is part of the company's newly announced Data Center Commitment program aimed at making data center building more transparent and somewhat less unpleasant to people living nearby. AWS' Data Center Commitment program aims to sweeten the pill for those who live near AI data centers. The announcements come as more than 100 data center moratoriums are being considered across the U.S., so AWS wants to make data centers more attractive to locals.