A group of Mississippians became the latest party to sue artificial intelligence giant xAI, arguing that its operations in Southaven, Mississippi, are degrading their quality of life.
In a class-action lawsuit filed Monday, the plaintiffs allege that xAI’s energy plant in Southaven is creating a public and private nuisance, subjecting nearby residents to “near-constant noise, vibrations and other nuisance-level harms.” These disruptions have kept residents from enjoying their properties and caused physical and emotional distress, the lawsuit claims.
The complaint lists three plaintiffs—Jason Haley, Preston Herrington and Taylor Logsdon—but notes that over 10,000 residents live in the affected area, suggesting that thousands of other “class members” could eventually be included.
“As a result of Defendants’ ongoing and continuous operation of the Southaven plant, Plaintiffs and class members have suffered and continue to suffer harm,” states the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. “It is a textbook example of putting profits over people, with corporate interests trampling residents’ fundamental right to use and enjoy their property.”
xAI’s Southaven plant powers its two data centers, Colossus I and Colossus II, in neighboring Memphis, Tennessee, which in turn power Grok, the company’s controversial AI supercomputer. Since last August, the facility has operated a growing number of methane gas turbines, with more than 50 housed on site as of this month, the lawsuit states.
For months, residents near the plant have complained about the loud, persistent noise produced by the turbines, claiming it has transformed their once-quiet neighborhoods and impeded activities like sleep. The sounds have also affected residents’ well-being, increasing anxiety and irritability and inducing physical symptoms like tinnitus, the lawsuit states.
“The constant noise and accompanying vibration of the Southaven plant interferes with Plaintiffs’ and area residents’ daily life and well-being. It disrupts their sleep and prevents the use and enjoyment of both their outdoor and indoor living spaces,” the complaint alleges. “The constant noise has diminished Plaintiffs’ and Class Members’ quality of life and, for property owners, the value of their properties.”
Plaintiffs are seeking compensation for the nuisance-level harms inflicted by the turbines, as well as for diminished property values stemming from the plant’s operations, the lawsuit states. They are also requesting injunctive relief and punitive damages against xAI, hoping to reduce the noise from the facility and prevent similar disruptions in other places.
“There are communities like Southaven that are being forced to live with this relentless industrial noise and vibration pollution every single day, and it’s diminishing their quality of lives,” Emma Dietz, an associate attorney at Weitz and Luxemburg working on the case, told the Mississippi Free Press Wednesday. “Part of the reason that we’re seeking these punitive damages is to try and deter this type of treatment of communities in the future.”
The Mississippi Free Press reached out to xAI for comment but did not hear back by press time.
The lawsuit drew praise from the Safe and Sound Coalition, a grassroots organization opposing xAI’s activities in Southaven. The group’s vice director, Jason Haley, and two board members, Taylor Logsdon and Preston Zane Herrington, are the three plaintiffs named in the complaint.
“Several of our co-founders were instrumental in bringing this lawsuit forward,” the organization wrote in a Wednesday email “It reflects the same commitment to protecting our community that has guided our work from the beginning. We’re grateful for the continued efforts of everyone working to ensure our community remains Safe and Sound.”
Monday’s lawsuit is the latest complaint brought against xAI, which is expanding its footprint in the Memphis metro area and building a new data center in Southaven. In April, the NAACP sued the company over its use of gas turbines in Southaven, accusing it of violating the Clean Air Act and endangering public health. The organization has requested a preliminary injunction to stop the turbines from operating, claiming that they pose an immediate threat.
Last month, the Department of Justice signaled that it may intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of xAI, citing President Donald Trump’s executive order to preserve U.S. dominance in the global AI sector. The DOJ has until June 15 to intervene in the case.
Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of data centers and read past stories here.
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