Elon Musk-owned AI startup xAI’s supercomputer facility may have ‘air pollution problem’

Human rights group, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has filed an intent to sue Elon Musk-owned artificial intelligence startup (xAI). The group announced the legal action this week over concerns about the air pollution caused by the company’s supercomputer facility near predominantly Black communities in Memphis. The xAI data centre in Memphis, which is powered by gas turbines that emit pollution, started its operations last year, without applying for a permit at first, a report claims. Officials had previously stated an exemption allowed them to operate for up to 364 days without a permit. At a recent news conference, Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) attorney Patrick Anderson, representing the NAACP, said that no such exemption exists for turbines, and the operation has now exceeded 364 days. The SELC is representing the NAACP in its legal challenge against xAI and its permit application, which is currently under consideration by the Shelby County Health Department.