Opinion: Activists Protest xAI Data Center in Memphis Over Pollution Concerns
Environmental activists protested outside an xAI data center in Memphis, Tennessee, over pollution from its gas-powered turbines. The article criticizes Mayor Young's positive stance on the xAI and Anthropic partnership, suggesting it misreads public sentiment.
An opinion piece published in The Daily Memphian by Joseph Ryan Kelly criticizes Memphis Mayor Young's optimistic view on the partnership between Anthropic and xAI. The author suggests that Mayor Young is "badly misreading the moment" regarding public sentiment toward such developments.
The article highlights an environmental protest on May 1, 2026, where activists blocked the entrance to xAI's data center on Paul Lowrey Road. The protest targeted the pollution generated by the data center's gas-powered turbines. The author also notes that Elon Musk, founder of xAI, became a trillionaire after shares of his company SpaceX, which also operates data centers in Memphis, soared following a major IPO.