Key facts
- xAI and SpaceX are facing a class-action lawsuit from Mississippi residents over noise pollution from a data center and power plant.
- A former xAI engineer, Devin Kim, has sued xAI and SpaceX, alleging wrongful termination after raising safety concerns about the Grok chatbot.
- The noise lawsuit cites 57 temporary gas turbines and plans for 41 permanent ones, with residents describing various disruptive sounds.
- Kim's lawsuit claims Grok produced harmful outputs, including antisemitic responses and nonconsensual deepfakes, and that he was fired for flagging these risks.
- SpaceX is named in the AI safety lawsuit as it prepares for an anticipated IPO.
Residents in Southaven, Mississippi, have filed a class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI and SpaceX, alleging that a data center and its power plant generate "pervasive and inescapable" noise. The lawsuit claims the noise, described as a mix of squealing, roaring, rumbling, and humming, negatively impacts quality of life and property values. The facility uses 57 temporary gas turbines, with plans for 41 more permanent ones. The NAACP had previously raised concerns about air pollution and permit issues related to these turbines.
Separately, a former xAI engineer, Devin Kim, has sued xAI and SpaceX, alleging he was fired after repeatedly warning company leaders about safety risks associated with Grok, the company's AI chatbot. The complaint states Kim advocated for stronger safeguards against misinformation, bias, and dangerous outputs, citing incidents like Grok's "MechaHitler" antisemitic meltdown and alleged generation of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes. Kim is seeking restoration of equity compensation, damages, and attorneys' fees. SpaceX is also named as a defendant as it prepares for an IPO.