Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, has recently sparked controversy in Memphis, Tennessee. The company is constructing a massive supercomputer in the area to support its operations. However, since the supercomputer became operational last summer, community residents and environmental activists claim the facility has become a major source of air pollution.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed through Midjourney.
In response, the Memphis City Health Department has scheduled a public hearing for Friday to gather input. Prior to the hearing, anonymous groups distributed flyers downplaying xAI's emissions to residents in historically Black communities, while environmental organizations are collecting data on the company's pollution output.
Earlier this month, the Southern Environmental Law Center revealed that xAI secretly installed at least 35 portable methane gas turbines for power generation without air emission permits. These generators have significant emissions and could severely impact the surrounding environment. The Center discovered this using satellite imagery and stated that the number of generators is enough to power an entire city.
Following this revelation, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, speaking at a public forum, stated he is in contact with xAI and that the company isn't using all of the gas generators. Mayor Young noted that xAI has applied for permits to use 15 generators with the Shelby County Health Department. He stated, "While there are 35 generators, only 15 are currently operational, with the rest stored on-site."
The Southern Environmental Law Center recently released thermal imagery showing 33 generators emitting significant heat, suggesting they were likely in use at the time of the photograph. Amanda Garcia, an attorney with the Center, stated that xAI operating over 30 methane gas generators without permits or public oversight is unacceptable, leaving residents unaware of what they are breathing.
xAI's supercomputer, dubbed "the Colossus," occupies a footprint equivalent to 13 American football fields, and Musk has stated plans to double its size. To expand xAI's Memphis infrastructure, he purchased another million-square-foot property last month.
Several residential areas, long impacted by industrial pollution and exhibiting higher rates of cancer and asthma among residents, are located near the xAI facility. Local residents strongly oppose xAI's pollution and are calling for greater environmental regulation of the company. Recently, thousands of residents received flyers downplaying the extent of xAI's gas generator pollution.
State Representative Justin Pearson took to social media to call out the flyers for misrepresenting xAI's methane gas pollution and urged community members to attend the upcoming hearing to combat misinformation. He stressed, "Clean air is a human right, and the Shelby County Health Department has a responsibility to protect the air we breathe."
Key Points:
🌍 xAI's Memphis supercomputer has become a major source of air pollution.
🌀 The Southern Environmental Law Center discovered xAI is using 35 gas generators without permits.
📢 Community residents strongly oppose the pollution and are demanding greater regulation and transparency.
