A new xAI data center exacerbated air pollution in a Memphis, Tennessee, neighborhood that was already struggling with poor air quality.
A group of researchers conducted an air pollution analysis of southwest Memphis neighborhoods in response to concerns about the potential toxic pollution from the data center.
As the Conversation reported, an artificial intelligence company owned by Elon Musk launched the xAI Supercluster data center on Sept. 1. It's powered by natural gas turbines and located in a neighborhood that already had high cancer risks due to industrial air pollution.
The researchers focused on two Memphis neighborhoods that are predominantly home to Black people with low incomes. They reviewed satellite data to assess fine-particle pollution, technical details about the turbines, and data from a third-party company's ground monitors.
Based on the study's results, the researchers determined that xAI turbines made only a minimal contribution to additional air pollution in the two neighborhoods. However, any additions of air pollution to an area already struggling to maintain healthy air are concerning.
"Any changes to the equipment used to generate power would likely change the data center's emissions," the researchers also concluded. "And all our analyses assumed regular, normal turbine operations: Malfunctions or accidents can lead to emissions of excessive quantities of air pollutants until they are fixed or resolved."
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Elon Musk's data centers continue to be the center of controversy, particularly as they pose health and safety risks to people living nearby. People are also concerned about the impact of AI data centers on electricity costs and their high energy usage for cooling systems.
Fortunately, researchers like the ones tracking air pollution in southwest Memphis are keeping the public informed about data center risks and environmental health challenges. The researchers who conducted this study recommended that regulatory agencies and public health groups continue to monitor local air pollution levels to mitigate the risks and impacts on vulnerable communities.
You can help raise awareness about the environmental risks associated with data centers by sharing studies like this one with people you know.
In a Reddit post to r/memphis, a social media user shared a video showing the invisible pollution emanating from the xAI data center.
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Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes — often 😬 "Glad they're bringing attention to the issue," another Redditor commented on the post.
"I've been smelling and feeling the change in the air before I even knew it was happening," someone shared. "Call me crazy, but I'm old and I can feel the difference. The sunlight has even had a different hue."
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