According to a report from Ars Technica, the Trump administration has formally intervened in a clean air lawsuit against AI company xAI, arguing that its Grok AI system provides critical support for the military and should not be shut down due to environmental regulations. In April, the NAACP sued xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, accusing them of operating 27 gas turbines without an air permit in Southaven, Mississippi, to power the Grok data center. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the NAACP, stated that the government is asking the court to allow xAI to violate the law under the guise of "national security."
The U.S. Department of Justice argued in court filings that xAI's gas turbines were already deemed exempt from permitting by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and emphasized that the Grok system is indispensable for military operations. The filings revealed that xAI's Grok Gov model assisted in precision strikes against Iran during "Operation Epic Wrath." The government claimed, "The NAACP is trying to cut off Grok's power, which also threatens national security, because Grok provides critical support for the Department of Defense's military operations." In response, SELC criticized the government's stance, saying it allows xAI to break the law simply because the Trump administration says so.
