Mississippi residents have launched a class action lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI and SpaceX, alleging that a power facility supporting data centers in their area generates relentless noise that has damaged their well-being and property worth.
The legal action, revealed Tuesday in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, accuses Musk’s enterprises of failing to address the disturbance and establishing a public nuisance through excessive sound levels. Three local residents initiated the suit representing a class of more than 10,000 people.
“The artificial intelligence (AI) boom is wreaking havoc on communities across the United States” by subjecting thousands of residents to near-constant noise and vibrations, the lawsuit said.
Those bringing the case want compensation for claimed emotional harm, decreased home values and other damages, plus an undetermined amount of profits to be returned.
Neither xAI nor SpaceX provided immediate responses to comment requests. The lawsuit also names xAI subsidiary MZX Tech as a defendant, though Musk himself is not named in the case.
Attorney Robert Wiygul, representing the residents, stated: “Our homes are supposed to be a sanctuary for us against the world,” but “when they are invaded by noise 24 hours a day, it takes that fundamental peace of a good and decent life away from us.”
The company invested over $20 billion in constructing the Southaven facility with support from Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves. Gas-powered turbines at the Southaven location supply electricity to data centers in and around the area, according to the filing.
In April, the NAACP filed its own lawsuit against xAI regarding the facility and data centers, claiming the company broke federal environmental regulations. That case remains active.
The U.S. Justice Department indicated in a court document last month that it might join the NAACP lawsuit, noting the matter involves important legal and policy issues about the government’s involvement in AI infrastructure development.
