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Amazon sends chills through its workforce with mixed message memo about AI use

AI2 min read

Amazon sent an internal memo to its software engineers about how AI should fit into their work. Columnist Corey Quinn says the memo sounds confident, but many engineers feel worried about their jobs.

What happened

Amazon published a memo written by a senior engineer named Terk Terkowitz. It is about the role of software developers in the age of AI. The memo was first sent inside Amazon in September, and it was shared publicly this week. Columnist Corey Quinn says it is a good document, but he reads it with some doubt. He thinks it is meant to make the future of software jobs feel less scary.

The mood in tech right now

Many tech workers are scared about their careers. Some have asked the writer whether they should leave tech altogether. Earlier this year, Amazon closed an employee-built leaderboard called KiroRank. It ranked people by how many AI tokens they used. A token is a small piece of text that an AI model reads or writes. People started running pointless tasks just to climb the ranks. This is called "tokenmaxxing." Meta ran a similar program called "Claudenomics" that same week. The article also says Amazon announced another 250 job cuts this week. The writer does not say these events are linked, but many engineers think they are.

Key facts

  • The memo was written by Terk Terkowitz, a VP and Distinguished Engineer at Amazon.
  • The memo was first sent to staff in September 2026 and shared publicly in late October 2026.
  • KiroRank was shut down in May.
  • Meta's similar program, Claudenomics, involved about 85,000 employees.
  • Amazon reportedly announced 250 more job cuts this week.

Why it matters

The memo gives a useful test for AI rules at any company. Leaders should ask what happens when an engineer says AI made a task worse. Does the company listen, or does the engineer lose their job? The memo also says teams that use the most AI should show real gains in their work. The writer thinks this is a smart way to measure success. Still, the mixed message leaves many workers unsure about their future.

What to watch

  • Whether Amazon's teams that use the most AI actually deliver more work.
  • Whether engineers who report AI problems are listened to.
  • Whether more job cuts follow at Amazon and other tech companies.
  • Whether other companies drop token-counting programs like KiroRank and Claudenomics.

Glossary

AI
Artificial intelligence: computer systems that can read, write, and make decisions in ways that look like human thinking.
KiroRank
An internal Amazon leaderboard, built by employees, that ranked people by how many AI tokens they used. Amazon shut it down in May.
Claudenomics
A similar token-usage leaderboard at Meta, mentioned in the article as running the same week as KiroRank.
Distinguished Engineer
A very senior technical job title at Amazon, above many other engineers.

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