Safety

DOJ Backs xAI in Legal Battle Over Gas Turbines

The Department of Justice joined xAI and Mississippi in dismissing a NAACP lawsuit over unpermitted gas turbines at its Southaven data center, citing national security concerns.

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Photo: cottonbro studio / Pexels

The Department of Justice intervened in a lawsuit over xAI’s gas turbines on Monday. In a filing, the agency sided with Elon Musk’s company, stating that attempts to stop xAI from running natural gas turbines threaten American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial-intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War’s military operations. The DOJ, along with xAI and the state of Mississippi, asked the court to dismiss the suit, filed by the NAACP in April.

The NAACP alleges xAI isn’t following the Clean Air Act and is endangering public health by running unpermitted natural gas turbines at its second data center in Southaven, Mississippi. In May, the NAACP filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop xAI from running the turbines, alleging that their continued use without a permit increases risks of asthma attacks and heart disease in communities with an already heavy pollution burden. xAI and DOJ didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the DOJ memorandum, there are only four artificial intelligence models, including Grok, that support mission-critical operations across Secret and Top-Secret classified networks. A separate declaration filed by Cameron Stanley, the chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Department of Defense, details how the military relies on Grok’s Gov model to support vital national security missions. That includes using the model as part of recent strikes against Iran. Forcing xAI to stop running the gas turbines powering Colossus 2, Stanley says, directly threatens ongoing national security interests.

Source: wired

Key points

The Department of Justice joined xAI and Mississippi in dismissing a NAACP lawsuit over unpermitted gas turbines at its Southaven data center.
The NAACP alleges xAI isn’t following the Clean Air Act and is endangering public health by running unpermitted natural gas turbines at its second data center in Southaven, Mississippi.
The DOJ memorandum states that only four artificial intelligence models, including Grok, support mission-critical operations across Secret and Top-Secret classified networks.
The Department of Defense relies on Grok’s Gov model to support vital national security missions, including recent strikes against Iran.
Forcing xAI to stop running the gas turbines powering Colossus 2 directly threatens ongoing national security interests, according to Cameron Stanley.
The original lawsuit identified 27 turbines operating without a permit at xAI’s Southaven site, but emails show there were 57 unpermitted turbines by mid-May.
The SELC reported that Colossus 2’s turbine growth led to an 111 percent increase in nitrogen oxide emissions, an 83 percent increase in PM2.5 emissions, and an 88 percent increase in formaldehyde emissions since April.

Source: WIRED Read the original →

WRITTEN BY

Nadia Rahman

AI Safety, Alignment & Policy

Nadia follows AI safety, alignment, regulation, and the policy debates shaping the field.