So what exactly did Ghori reveal on Relentless? Well, he seemed to tip off the possibility that xAI has been skirting regulations and getting dubious permits when building data centers—specifically, its prized Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee. “The lease for the land itself was actually technically temporary. It was the fastest way to get the permitting through and actually start building things,” he said. “I assume that it’ll be permanent at some point, but it’s a very short-term lease at the moment, technically, for all the data centers. It’s the fastest way to get things done.”
When asked how xAI has gone about getting those temporary leases, Ghori explained that they worked with local and state governments to get permits that allow companies to “modify this ground temporarily,” and said they are typically for things like carnivals.
Colossus was not without controversy already. The data center, which xAI brags only took 122 days to build, was powered by at least 35 methane gas turbines that the company reportedly didn’t have the permits to operate. Even the Donald Trump-staffed Environmental Protection Agency declared the turbines to be illegal. Those turbines, which were operating without permission, contributed to the significant amount of air pollution experienced by surrounding communities.
In addition to the indication of other potential legal end-arounds committed by xAI, Ghori also revealed some of the company’s internal operations, including relying significantly on AI agents to complete work. “Right now, we’re doing a big rebuild of our core production APIs. It’s being done by one person with like 20 agents,” he said. “And they’re very good, and they’re capable of doing it, and it’s working well,” though he later stated that the reliance on agents can lead to confusion. “Multiple times I’ve gotten a ping saying, ‘Hey, this guy on the org chart reports to you. Is he not in today or something?’ And it’s an AI. It’s a virtual employee.”
I hope that the people of Memphis can force the city council to refuse any extensions to the permit. We need to make sure that their actions are made public, and hopefully, people can break the companies.
Have you been to Memphis? Place looks like a war zone. Burned down building, roads with pot holes the size of moon craters. The place is worth driving around. I guarantee there is no will on the city council to revoke the xAI contract.
I like your enthusiasm, but you’re going about this all wrong.
City council refuses the permits.
Musk does it anyways.
Nothing happens.
But hey, we blocked those permits, right?
Well, it should be that the City Council refuses the permits, and if Musk does it anyway, the City either bulldozes the building, or sues him until the building is removed. So either the building comes down or the municipality makes a pile of cash off the bastard.
He bought twitter for 43 billion dollars on a goof. To him a “pile of cash” is like 3 pennies to you.
And I’m not saying this to defend him. I’m just saying that charging him money isn’t the “gotcha!” that you think it is.
It’s not a gotcha. It’s a decent cash flow to the city if he wants to se the real estate - and that’s before they tax him, and sue him again if he evades,
I hear you, but I would imagine that Musk would retaliate by counter-suing the city and/or state, if for no other reason than spite. And would drag the whole thing out for at least as long as the AI infatuation lasts before abandoning the building for officials to deal with.
A single citizen with a drone and a bunch of glass bottles full of petrol dropped onto the generators, however, would shut down operations immediately.