Elon Musk brought ‘the world’s biggest supercomputer’ to Memphis. Residents say they’re choking on its pollution

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Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI, has set up a large supercomputer, known as Colossus, in an abandoned factory in southwest Memphis, positioning it as the most powerful AI training system globally.
The local community of southwest Memphis is resisting xAI’s operations, primarily due to the company’s use of gas-powered turbines that they claim can pose serious health risks.
Environmental concerns focus on the significant amount of toxic pollutants produced by these turbines, including nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, which can have adverse long-term health effects.
Community leaders argue that xAI’s operation relies on a legal loophole that circumvents the need for air permits, which activists believe should not apply to the facility due to the extent of pollution it generates.
Despite promises of economic benefits such as job creation and tax revenue, residents point to the lack of emphasis on environmental health and past grievances over insufficient pollution controls in the area.
South Memphis, already burdened with multiple polluting facilities, struggles with compromised air quality, which puts its residents at high risk for health issues linked to industrial emissions.
Advocates like KeShaun Pearson stress that this fight against xAI is part of a long-standing battle to protect southwest Memphis from industrial pollution, highlighting the broader issue of environmental justice.

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