Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, was notified of a forthcoming lawsuit by two activist groups which allege it violated federal law by operating natural gas turbines to power the company’s supercomputer.
On behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on Tuesday provided xAI with the required statutory notice for them to bring a lawsuit under the Clean Air Act.
They allege xAI is violating the law by claiming its turbines are mobile, and thus eligible to operate for a full year without obtaining regulatory permission.
“Over the last year, these turbines have pumped out pollution that threatens the health of Memphis families,” stated SELC attorney Patrick Anderson. “This notice paves the way for a lawsuit that can hold xAI accountable for its unlawful refusal to get permits for its gas turbines.”
Musk’s company began working in Memphis in June 2024 to build the “world’s largest supercomputer,” which now operates the company’s artificial intelligence services. These include Grok, the xAI chatbot which currently boasts more than 35 million monthly active users (MAUs).
While the company is expected to bring millions in investments, and create at least 500 jobs in Memphis, the SELC press release said the economic prosperity is not worth the increased pollution generated by the xAI turbines.
“Gas turbines release smog-forming pollution and hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde. These pollutants are tied to increases in asthma, respiratory diseases, heart problems, and certain cancers,” said SELC. “XAI’s South Memphis data center is located near predominantly Black communities that are already overburdened with industrial pollution from dozens of industrial facilities, including an oil refinery, a steel mill, and a TVA gas plant.”
The letter SELC sent xAI claimed that the company currently operates at least 35 turbines in violation of federal law, and said a lawsuit would follow in 60 days.
This threat of litigation comes as State Representative Justin Pearson (R-Memphis) has urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to decline the company’s requests for regulatory approval for its turbines. The lawmaker was notably interviewed alongside his brother, KeShawn Pearson, about their activism against Musk’s company earlier this year.
Earlier this year, xAI was notably sold for $33 billion to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which Musk previously purchased in 2022.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
