🔶 xAI、SpaceX 与 AI 基础设施扩张竞赛
英文标题：🔶 xAI, SpaceX, and the Race for AI Buildout
SpaceX（现为 xAI 的控制实体）表示，将在 2027 年 7 月前移除其位于孟菲斯 Colossus 数据中心、长期无证运行的临时燃气涡轮机，并以天然气发电厂替代。原文指出，xAI 的项目曾因涉嫌违反《清洁空气法》而面临诉讼，但美国司法部以国家安全为由推动法院驳回案件。文章还质疑 xAI 对涡轮机数量、供电方案、污水处理和排放影响的公开说法存在前后矛盾。对开发者和行业而言，这起事件凸显了 AI 数据中心快速扩张所伴随的能源、环境正义、社区健康和监管问责问题。
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中文
在企业游离于法律之外的又一个最新案例中，SpaceX（不知为何如今成了 xAI 的控制实体）宣布，他们将于……2027 年 7 月前，拆除在孟菲斯 Colossus 数据中心运行的非法、未经许可的燃气涡轮机。xAI 得以无视任何正常团体都必须遵循的经济规划与限制，只为以创纪录的速度再建成一个该死的数据中心。与此同时，真实的人们将面临健康状况恶化和污染加剧。这并不是什么新故事，但依然值得讲述。
xAI、SpaceX 与 AI 基础设施扩张竞赛
对于那些幸运地对此毫不知情的人来说，xAI 是 SpaceX 的子公司（此前隶属 X，而 X 本身此前又是 Twitter），负责 xAI 系列产品的 AI 开发和数据中心业务。其中包括 Grok；迄今为止，它已卷入争议，包括但不限于：
- 一边自称“Mecha-Hitler（机甲希特勒）”，一边传播反犹辱骂和阴谋论
- 制作大量未经同意的裸露图像，主要涉及女性和儿童
- 充当 Elon 关于南非白人种族灭绝这一种族主义信念的传声筒
- 被右翼蠢货普遍拿来试图佐证或否定自己不喜欢的事物（“Grok，这是真的吗？”）
除此之外，xAI 也乐于与联邦政府合作，让其模型服务于包括国防部在内的各个机构（拜托，别再搞这套“战争部”了）。有了这样的产品，你可能会惊讶地发现，有些人并不乐见它继续开发和增长，尤其是在它向自家后院排放烟雾的时候。然而 xAI 仍在强行推进；为了所谓“进步”，反对者见鬼去吧。
AI 模型仍在不断扩张，为那些所谓的“改进”需要更多内存和核心。因此，当下的游戏规则是数据中心：成片成片的计算机机架，塞满金钱所能买到的最顶级硬件（鉴于目前的供应紧张，其中也有些没那么顶级）。这些机架是为了跟上每个新开发的“前沿”（一个与性能或改进程度毫无实际关联的流行标签）模型不断膨胀的需求；所有买账 AI 炒作的人都会立刻转向这些模型，因为新鲜感压倒了实用性。
Colossus：简史
Colossus I 数据中心从破土动工到投入运营仅用了 122 天。有人将其誉为成就，但另一些人（比如我）认为，这种残酷的速度是为了避免回答“这会如何影响周边地区？”以及“你们对数据中心废弃物有什么缓解计划？”之类的麻烦问题。该数据中心由数十台未经许可的燃气涡轮机供电；起初，他们拒绝承认这些设备正在运行，直到记者和团体使用热成像证明它们确实已经启动，并正向空气排放毒素（包括烟雾、甲醛及其他有害物质）。这导致南方环境法律中心（SELC）代表全国有色人种协进会（NAACP）提起了诉讼，指控其违反《清洁空气法》。诉讼方主张，该公司在没有公众监督或问责的情况下运营这些非法设施，并寻求通过法律手段叫停项目，直至能够恰当核算这些涡轮机的影响。
随后，联邦政府和司法部介入，推动法院驳回该诉讼，理由是国家安全；其称，xAI 模型对于“支持战争部军事行动的人工智能创新”是必要的。于是，居民失去了对这些开发项目提出法律异议的途径，除非提出个人索赔和损害赔偿请求。
这一切将我们带到 2026 年 7 月 30 日：xAI 宣布，公司已与密西西比州环境质量部达成协议（该设施位于田纳西州与密西西比州交界处），将在 2027 年 7 月前完成拆除“临时”涡轮机（如今已运行两年），并以一座天然气发电厂取而代之。至少在我看来，这等同于狠狠踩碎周边地区的命根子，原因有几个。首先，他们过去数年向环境排放毒素，似乎几乎肯定不会因此受到惩罚；因为如今此事已纳入州政府同意的时间表，而没有宣布任何罚款或其他行动。
“事实”与“虚构”
令人尴尬的是，他们似乎连自己的宣传口径都无法统一。在宣布该协议的施工更新中，他们明确写道，设施位于密西西比州 Southaven，目前由“69 台……临时移动式涡轮机”供电。这似乎与页面底部链接的“事实与虚构” FAQ 相矛盾，后者包含一连串我实在看不懂的说法。请看看这个链接，然后我们再来讨论它到底说了些什么。
所以，根据第一条说法，曾经有临时涡轮机，但它们被搬到了一个极近的不同地点，之后又被移除了。他们申请了 15 台永久涡轮机，同时仍在运行临时机组，并在 6 个多月后获得批准。不过，他们不会需要那么多设备，而且这些设备只会用于备用；因此，他们主要（推测而言）将从本地电网取电。下一条说法澄清，孟菲斯数据中心不会有任何涡轮机；它们将在路另一头的 Electrolux，通过变电站连接——他们在第七条中谈到要投入数百万美元建设这些变电站。第二条中，他们说其下一座数据中心远没有 90 台涡轮机（这个数字明显高于我在相关讨论中见过的任何数字，很可能是为了让批评者听起来很可笑），并称新设施不会有任何涡轮机（因为它会接入他们部署在其他地方的全部涡轮机）。
根据第三条说法，他们最终会接入电网；而第五条则称，他们将从电网取电，但如果出现过载，会使用电池和涡轮机备用。第六条的措辞极为谨慎：他们反驳“Colossus 将成为孟菲斯最大的排放源之一”时称，“实际上，我们将采用最先进技术来减少排放”，但随后没有说“因此这一说法是错误的”。可能是因为，即便采用那些花哨技术，它仍会造成严重污染。
所以，经历了这些文字游戏和试图澄清空气的努力后，我唯一能够确定的是：他们绝对、迫切地不想直接讨论这些场址的整体计划。他们利用一切机会绕开或否认关切，却并未真正说明任何事项的规模；除了 Electrolux 的 12 台（声称的）永久涡轮机和两座变电站。至于污水处理设施，他们确实声称本应在 2026 年上线；然而，官员们上个月获悉，该场址的施工甚至要到 2027 年第一季度才会重启。与此同时，他们将继续抽取当地含水层的水。目前尚不清楚他们需要多久才能完成该设施。
那么，为什么是孟菲斯？
我和其他更聪明的人，会将这座数据中心的选址，以及其使用数月来一直否认存在或否认正在使用的无证燃气发电机，归因于制度性和历史性种族主义。孟菲斯以黑人居民占多数；历史上，在美国各地，黑人居民一直被“红线政策”划入这类工业化程度更高、污染更严重的区域。这是一个至今仍存在的已知问题：少数族裔人口占比较高的社区，将比情况相似、白人占比更高的地区面临更严重的污染和健康后果。这就包括当前这种情形：数据中心等健康危害设施的开发，只被允许落在较不富裕、肤色更深的社区。孟菲斯的情况实际上比我所想的更糟：孟菲斯外围地区大约有 10 至 15 座数据中心，而那里显然有居民生活。
Colossus 的 69 台燃气发电机所造成的实体污染，是无可争议地会伤害周边环境及居民的一方面。不过，人们也越来越担忧音频或声学污染，以及它对当地植物、动物和人群的影响。这类污染包括容易辨认的事物，例如施工或机械运转的巨大声响，进而扰乱睡眠和正常生活；但它也包括次声污染，即低于人类听觉范围（低于 20mhz）的声音。尽管人类无法听到它，越来越多的学术研究和其他研究表明，这些声音能够并且确实会在数英里之外产生非常直接的负面健康影响。这些影响可以从普遍的不安感，一直到使人衰弱的偏头痛、恶心及其他症状。类似症状已经在许多新建数据中心的社区中被报告；而这座数据中心（加上仅 xAI 就至少还将建设另一座）竟被允许建在如此靠近住宅的地方，显示出对当地居民健康和福祉的严重漠视。
没有人会为“快速行动、打破常规”负责
这是硅谷用来以“进步”之名合理化伤害的精神信条。当问题仅局限于硅谷或全球互联网时是一回事；当它来到你的后院，或影响整个社区的健康时，则是另一回事。污染以及其他种种问题，将对这些新数据中心周边社区造成明确且可量化的伤害。正常、规模较小的开发项目会受到许可、听证会等程序约束。这些许可要求提交影响报告，或让公民表达项目将如何影响他们。它们提供了清晰、可追溯的路径，让开发者能够为期限、排放和负面结果承担责任。
xAI 不必面对这些约束。他们的开发项目笼罩在阴影中，并被刻意不予公开宣传，因为他们清楚自己所做之事有多糟糕。他们希望，只要长时间拒绝谈论此事，我们最终就会把它当成进步的代价，并放过他们——尽管他们故意让相当多人生活变得更糟。一切都是为了这个战争罪行和儿童色情生成器；为了这个此刻正被用来在线骚扰女性的东西。一切都是为了一个大多数人甚至并不想要的东西；为了增加 SpaceX 的利润。我们不应为了让一家企业获利，就愿意忽视人类和环境成本。我们这样做已经太久了，看看如今我们身处何地：正讨论着为让这台种族主义机器运转得“更好”而架设的一堆非法发电机。
English / 原文
In the latest example of corporations existing outside of the law, SpaceX (who is for some reason the controlling entity of xAI now) announced they'll be removing the illegal, unpermitted gas turbines they've been running at their Memphis Colossus data center... by July 2027. xAI gets to flout economic planning and restrictions that any normal group would have to follow, all for the sake of being able to get another fuckass data center built in record time. In the meantime, real people will face declining health and increased pollution. This is not a new story, but it's worth telling anyway.
xAI, SpaceX, and the Race for AI Buildout
For those blissfully unaware, xAI is the subsidiary of SpaceX (previously under X, which itself was previously Twitter) that is in charge of AI development and data centers for the xAI series of products. This includes Grok, which has thus far been involved in controversies including but not limited to:
- Spreading antisemitic slurs and conspiracies while calling itself "Mecha-Hitler"
- Creating widespread non-consensual nude images of primarily women and children
- Acting as a mouthpiece for Elon's racist belief in South African white genocide
- Generally being used by chuds to try and back up or reject things they don't like ("Grok, is this true?")
Beyond that, xAI has also been happy to partner with the federal government for the use of its models across agencies including the Department of Defense (come on, enough with this Department of War shit). Now with a product like that, you might be surprised to learn that some people aren't jazzed about its continuing development and growth, especially when it spews smog in their backyard. xAI continues to barge forward however; decriers be damned in the name of "progress".
The AI models keep expanding, requiring more memory and cores for what "improvements" there are. So the name of the game right now is data centers; acres and acres of computer racks, loaded with the best money hardware can buy (and some less so, given the current supply crunch). These racks are needed to keep up with the ballooning requirements of each new "frontier" (a buzzword label with no actual inclination of performance of improvement) model developed, which everyone bought into the AI hype will immediately hop to because it's all novelty over utility.
Colossus: A Short History
The Colossus I Data Center was brought online in 122 days from breaking ground to operation. Some hail that as an achievement, but others (like myself) see it as a brutal pace to avoid having to answer pesky questions like "How will this affect the nearby area?" and "What sort of mitigation plans to do you have for the data center's waste?" The data center is powered by dozens of unpermitted gas turbines, which they initially refused to acknowledge were running until journalists and groups used thermal imaging to prove they were indeed on and spewing toxins into the air (including smog, formaldehyde, and other nasty things). This resulted in a suit from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on behalf of the NAACP for violations of the Clean Air Act. Their claim was that the company operated without public oversight or accountability for these illegal constructions and sought legal stoppage until proper accounting can be done of the effects of said turbines.
Enter the Federal Government and the Department of Justice, who pushed the courts to dismiss the suit as a matter of national security, stating that the xAI models were needed for "artificial-intelligence innovation that supports the Department of Warâs military operations." So, residents are left without legal means of contesting these developments, barring individual claims and damages.
This all brings us to July 30, 2026, where xAI announced that the company had entered an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (as it sits on the border of Tennessee and Mississippi) that it will complete removal of the "temporary" turbines (now online for 2 years) and replace them with a natural gas power plant by July 2027. This reads, to me at least, as a swift stomp on the balls of the nearby area for several reasons. First, it seems all but certain they will face no punishment for spewing toxins into the environment for the past years because this is now in a timeline agreed upon by the state, with no announcement of any fines or actions.
"Facts" and "Fiction"
Embarassingly, they can't seem to get their propaganda straight either, as in their update on the construction where they announced the agreement, they specify "69... temporary, mobile turbines that currently power our facility in Southaven, Mississippi." This seems at odds with their "Fact V. Fiction" FAQ linked at the bottom of the page, which contains a string of statements I truly can't make heads or tales of. Please check out the link and we'll reconvene to talk about what it says.
So according to statement one, there were temporary turbines, but they were moved to an extremely nearby different site, and then they were removed. They applied for 15 permanent turbines, still running the temporary ones in the meantime, and received approval 6 months+ later. However, they won't need that many, and they'll only be backup, so they'll primarily (assumedly) be drawing from the local power grid. The next statement clarifies that there won't be any turbines at Memphis data center; they'll be down the road at Electrolux, connected via substation that talk about spending millions to build in statement seven. In statement two, they say that there's nowhere near 90 turbines at its next data center (a number significantly higher than any I've seen in these conversations, most likely to make them sound silly), and say that they'll not have any turbines at the new one (because it'll be wired in to all the turbines they have elsewhere).
They'll eventually be hooked into the grid according to the statement three, and they will draw from it but have battery and turbine backup if things get overdrawn according to statement five. There's then extremely careful wording in statement six where they contest "Colossus will be one of the largest emissions sources in Memphis" by stating "actually we'll be using state-of-the-art to reduce emissions" but then stops short of saying "and thus the statement is wrong", probably because even with the fancy tech it still will be highly polluting.
So after all these words and attempts to clear the air, the only thing I'm confident in is that they absolutely, desperately do not want to directly discuss their overall plans for these sites. They make every opportunity to speak around and negate concerns, without really clarifying the extent of anything barring the 12 (claimed) permanent turbines at Electrolux and two power substations. I guess they also do claim the wastewater treatment was supposed to come online in 2026, however officials were told last month that construction on the site isn't even supposed to restart until Q12027. In the meantime, they will continue to drain the area's aquifer. It is unclear how long they need to complete it.
So, Why Memphis?
I, and other smarter people, would attribute the location of this data center, and its use of unpermitted gas generators which it denied for months existed or being used, to institutional and historic racism. See, Memphis is a majority Black population, who historically have been redlined to more industrial and polluted areas such as these across the country. This is a known issue to this day, where minority heavy neighborhoods will be subject to worse pollution and health outcomes than similar, whiter areas. This includes things like this exact situation, where the development of health hazards such as data centers are allowed only in less affluent and darker communities. The situation in Memphis is actually worse than I thought, as there somewhere in the range of 10-15 data centers in the outlying Memphis area where people very much do live.
The physical pollution coming from Colossus' 69 gas generators is one thing that indisputably will hurt the environment around the area and its residents. However, there's growing concern around audio or sonic pollution and the effects it has on flora, fauna, and people in the area. That type of pollution can include easy-to-identify things, like the loud sounds of construction or machinery moving then disrupting sleep and normal life, but it also includes infrasonic pollution, or audio that is below the range of human hearing (sub 20mhz). Despite humans not being able to hear it, there's growing academic and other research that show these sounds can and do have very direct negative health effects, up to several miles away. This can include things like a general sense of unease all the way to debilitating migraines, nausea, and other symptoms. The fact that these sort of symptoms have been reported across many communities that have had data centers pop up and this data center (plus at least one more from xAI alone to come) were allowed to be be built so close to housing shows a damning disregard for the health and well-being of the people living there.
No One Is Held Accountable For "Moving Fast And Breaking Things"
This is the Silicon Valley ethos used to justify harm in the name of "progress". It's one thing when it's contained to Silicon Valley or on the worldwide web, it's another when it comes to your backyard or to the health of entire communities. The pollution, amongst everything else, will have clear and quantifiable harm to the communities surrounding these new data centers. Normal, smaller developments are bound by permits and hearings and the like. These permits require impact reports or citizens to sound off on the ways that it will effect them. Clear, traceable paths where developers can be held liable for deadlines, emissions, and negative outcomes.
xAI faces none of those things. Their developments are draped in shadow and purposefully not publicized because they are aware of how bad what they're doing is. They hope that if they just refuse to talk about it long enough, eventually we'll just accept this as the price of progress and let them off the hook for purposefully making life worse for a considerable amount of people. All this for the war crime and child porn generator; for something that's being used to harass women online right now. All this for something a majority of people don't even want; to add to the bottom line of SpaceX. We should not be willing to overlook the human and environmental costs for a company to profit. We've done that far too long, and look where we are now; talking about a bunch of illegal generators stood up to make the racism machine work more gooder.