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Lawsuit over Mississippi data center power plant…Department of Justice: "Strengthening AI is national policy"
Amid allegations that xAI, the artificial intelligence company of the world's richest man Elon Musk, illegally operated a power plant causing air pollution, the Donald Trump administration has come to Musk's defense.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 14th (local time) that the Department of Justice has decided to directly review a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and others against MZX Tech, an xAI affiliate, regarding the emission of air pollutants.
Adam Gustaf, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, submitted a document to the Northern District Court of Mississippi on the afternoon of the 13th, stating, "It is U.S. policy to strengthen and maintain America's global AI dominance for human prosperity, competitiveness, and national security."
He added, "We are seeking an opportunity to intervene if a court's ruling or order is inconsistent with (federal government policy)," and requested the court for more time to review the lawsuit.
This is interpreted as an indication that the government may intervene if the lawsuit concludes unfavorably for xAI, an artificial intelligence company.
According to the NAACP, xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech installed 27 unlicensed gas turbines to power the Mississippi data center. These turbines appear to have been installed on mobile units, seemingly bypassing federal health and pollution regulations.
As a result, the NAACP estimates that 1,700 tons of smog-causing substances could be emitted annually in predominantly Black residential areas.
Even though civil organizations raised these issues, xAI was found to have actually added more generators. According to the NYT, as of June 6, xAI had increased the number of mobile gas turbines to 50.
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