17.06.2025 20:39
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced its intention to file a lawsuit against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence firm, xAI, citing concerns over alleged environmental injustices in Memphis, Tennessee. This legal action, filed Tuesday, arises from claims that xAI's supercomputer operations disproportionately impact predominantly Black neighborhoods.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) submitted the 60-day notice of intent to sue on behalf of the NAACP. Their legal argument centers on alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, highlighting a pattern of pollution stemming from xAI's Memphis facility over the past year. Specifically, the notice alleges increased ozone pollution resulting from xAI's activities, posing significant health risks including respiratory issues, asthma attacks, and other serious ailments.
According to the SELC's findings, based on aerial imagery, xAI's expansion in December 2024, building on a project initiated in June, involved the installation of 35 methane gas turbines. Images from March and April show evidence of substantial heat emissions from nearly all these turbines, providing strong visual support for the NAACP's claims regarding intensified pollution levels. These emissions, the NAACP argues, significantly exacerbate existing health problems in the affected communities, leading to increased rates of asthma, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and certain cancers.
xAI's expansion, initially announced in December 2024, has drawn sharp criticism from the NAACP, whose president, Derrick Johnson, stated that corporations too often disregard the well-being of minority communities. Johnson's statement powerfully underscores the NAACP's position that xAI has prioritized its operations over the health and safety of predominantly Black residents. Forbes has contacted xAI for a response to these allegations.
It's worth noting that this legal action comes on the heels of another significant announcement from the NAACP: the organization declared its intention to bar President Donald Trump from its July national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina – a first in its 116-year history. This underscores the NAACP's proactive stance on issues of social and environmental justice.
