Thermal Imaging Reveals xAI Misled Public on Supercomputer Emissions, Group Claims
Elon Musk hastened to construct Colossus, the globe’s largest supercomputer, in Memphis, Tennessee, boasting that the build was completed in a mere 122 days and anticipated that competitors would find it challenging to keep pace.
In their rush to advance, xAI’s approach was to eliminate anything deemed unnecessary, scrutinizing every potential delay and taking control of the timeline, as detailed on their website.
Currently, there are demands for xAI to shut down the gas turbines powering the supercomputer. Residents in historically Black communities in Memphis, who have long endured industrial pollution resulting in poor air quality and reduced life expectancy, assert that xAI has been operating more turbines than disclosed to local authorities, lacking proper permits.
These residents, supported by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), claim the unregulated turbines potentially position xAI as the largest source of smog-forming pollution in the area. They are pressing the Shelby County Health Department to reject all of xAI’s air permit applications due to the “stunning lack of information and transparency.”
KeShaun Pearson, president of the nonprofit Memphis Community Against Pollution, accused xAI of “perpetuating environmental racism” on Democracy Now, arguing that xAI treats Memphis residents as insignificant, according to Time.
Adding to the community’s concern, an anonymous group named “Facts Over Fiction” distributed fliers in Black neighborhoods, downplaying xAI’s pollution and asserting that “xAI has low emissions,” as reported by The Guardian.
The SELC revealed to Ars that the fliers coincided with the group’s acquisition of thermal imaging, which seemingly exposes xAI in a potential deception. Initial thermal images showed at least 35 turbines on site, despite xAI’s permit application only covering 15 turbines. Memphis Mayor Paul Young stated that xAI had claimed it was operating only 15 turbines.
(Source: Ars Technica)
