Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, is making waves in Memphis, Tennessee — but not everyone is excited. While the tech titan’s promise of innovation and economic growth has stirred hopes of revitalizing the local economy, it’s also ignited a growing backlash from residents concerned about pollution and public health.
Musk’s company, xAI, claims to have constructed the world’s largest supercomputer, dubbed Colossus, in Memphis. This powerful machine is central to Musk’s vision of leading the global race in artificial intelligence. The company promises $100 million in revenue and hundreds of local jobs, a boost that has excited city officials, including Mayor Paul Young.
“It represents a tremendous opportunity,” said Mayor Young. “An opportunity for us to take our economy to the next level.”
However, the excitement quickly turns to controversy when the source of Colossus’s immense power comes into view.
To run the supercomputer, xAI relies on massive gas turbines that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These turbines emit hazardous pollutants, including formaldehyde and nitrogen oxide, as noted by the equipment’s manufacturer.
Just over a fence from the facility, residents can hear the turbines constantly churning. For people like Easter Knox, who lives two miles away in Boxtown — a historically Black, low-income neighborhood in South Memphis — the air already feels different.
“Do you smell this?” Knox said. “Yes, Lord… I started smelling it as soon as they got situated.”
Boxtown has long carried the burden of industrial pollution. Residents report a variety of health issues, especially respiratory problems, and the cancer risk in the area is reportedly four times higher than the national average. Life expectancy is nine years below the U.S. average.
“Cancer killed my father and other relatives,” Knox said. “The health department should be ashamed.”
While Musk’s company isn’t directly responsible for the area’s historical health problems, its recent presence and the power demands of the Colossus have rekindled long-standing tensions.
Beyond environmental issues, local residents are also upset about the process — or lack of it — that led to the approval of xAI’s facility.
“Right now, there are people in the community who feel like they were railroaded by xAI,” said Mayor Young. “That they weren’t part of the conversation when it was approved and now they’re bearing the brunt of its existence.”
xAI has been operating its turbines without a full emissions permit. The local health department says this is legal for the first year, but that has not eased community fears.
City officials initially reported 15 turbines at the site. However, environmental advocates released thermal imaging that appeared to show double that number actively running.
“As soon as we saw the image, we called,” said one community advocate. “We said, ‘Hey, we need to have a conversation. What’s happening with these additional ones?’”
An xAI executive reportedly left a recent health department hearing through a side door to avoid confrontation after the meeting descended into a shouting match.
Mayor Young says the city plans to begin air testing in the coming months, hoping to ease concerns.
“I take their concerns deeply serious,” Young said. “We need direct dialogue.”
Still, the situation highlights a broader issue: how cities balance economic development with environmental justice — especially in communities historically burdened by pollution.
Boxtown’s struggle is not new. For decades, it has been a dumping ground for heavy industry. Now, with high-tech companies moving in under the promise of innovation, residents worry that the pattern is repeating itself under a different name.
While Elon Musk’s xAI pushes for a future driven by AI and supercomputing, many in Memphis — especially in its most vulnerable neighborhoods — are pushing back, demanding a future that doesn’t come at the cost of their health and their homes.