Memphis Community Pushes Back Against Musk's AI Supercomputer Over Pollution Concerns

ICARO Media Group
News
31/10/2024 23h01

**Memphis Community Opposes Musk's AI Supercomputer Over Pollution Concerns**

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is in the midst of constructing what he claims will be the world's largest supercomputer within an old manufacturing plant in southwest Memphis. This ambitious endeavor, part of Musk's xAI artificial intelligence business, is projected to consume as much electricity as 100,000 homes, raising significant concerns among local residents.

This Memphis neighborhood, already burdened by an oil refinery, a steel mill, and chemical plants, is now grappling with the additional pollution from Musk's project. KeShaun Pearson, president of Memphis Community Against Pollution, expressed the community's frustration. "We're getting more and more days a year where it is unhealthy for us to go outside," he said, highlighting the deteriorating air quality.

To support the extreme power requirements of the supercomputer, xAI has installed nearly 20 mobile power plants powered by natural gas on the 550-acre site. This setup only adds to the smog that the community has been struggling with for years.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, which manages the electric grid for much of the area, had to approve the scale of power consumption for the project. This approval underscores the enormous energy demands of the supercomputer, which is currently employed to train AI models across thousands of powerful computer servers. Some of these models are built using data from Musk's social media platform, X.

In summary, the residents of southwest Memphis see no benefits from Musk's supercomputer and are instead contending with heightened pollution and strain on their local electrical grid. The situation has resulted in growing resistance from the community as they advocate for their right to a healthier living environment.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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