It can be all too easy to think about the environmental impact of AI in the abstract—especially when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attempts to minimise ChatGPT's water usage by throwing fractions out. However, for the citizens of Memphis, Tennessee, it's a subject that hits so close to home that it simply can't be ignored.
The NAACP notified xAI on Tuesday of their intent to sue, alleging that the company's operation of their Colossus data centre has violated the Clean Air Act (via Ars Technica). In a letter addressed to Elon Musk, among others, legal representatives from the Southern Environmental Law Center urged xAI to come to the table to discuss "effective remedies for the violations noted" or to otherwise pursue "negotiations in the absence of litigation" within 20 days of the notice being served.
