Amazon will spend more than $1 billion over five years in the US communities that host its data centres, AWS chief Matt Garman has announced.

The “Built Together” programme will fund free community college, job training, energy upgrades for homes and schools, and other local projects.

Amazon will also stop using non-disclosure agreements with government agencies on data centre projects — a practice that fuelled local backlash. The change applies going forward only.

Garman said more than 100 data centre moratoriums are being considered across the US, warning they could threaten America’s lead in the AI race.

The company will publish its energy and water use annually, install lower-emission backup generators and pay enough for power to keep local electricity bills from rising.

Critics called the $1 billion “a drop in the bucket” next to Amazon’s projected $220 billion in 2026 capital spending.

It comes on top of more than $1 billion Amazon says it has already given to data centre communities over the past three years.