A class action lawsuit has been filed against Elon Musk-founded xAI and SpaceX over alleged noise disruptions coming from its Southaven data center and power plant.
Plaintiffs Jason Haley, Preston Herrington, and Taylor Logsdon filed the suit on behalf of themselves and others “similarly situated,” alleging that the noise from xAI’s operations in Southaven are disrupting their daily lives. The suit was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Mississippi, and the case is being overseen by Judge Debra Brown.
The plaintiffs claim that xAI’s usage of gas turbines to power the north Mississippi plant and cooling devices to manage the heat created by the turbines has left nearby residents hearing a perpetual humming sound, along with a physical vibration that can be transmitted through buildings close enough to the facility.
xAI announced a $20 billion investment, the largest of its kind in state history, in Southaven back in January. The company took over an 800,000-square-foot warehouse on Stanton Road just south of the Tennessee line, and plans to use it and a power plant relying on gas turbines as part of Musk’s Colossus supercomputer project in neighboring Memphis.
While many Mississippi officials, including Gov. Tate Reeves, heralded the project as a great asset to the state’s economy, some residents argue that the consequences far outweigh the benefits.
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs say a “combination of high-pitched squealing, continuous engine roaring, low-frequency rumbling, and tonal humming or whining” travels into homes near the data center. This, per the legal filing, has caused some residents of Southaven and Horn Lake psychological and physical harm while also reducing the property value in those cities.
Plaintiffs claim the noise first began when the power plant became operational in August 2025. Not long after, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit went to local law enforcement with a formal complaint about the noise and even emailed Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite.
Instead of work being done to appease concerned citizens, the lawsuit asserts that xAI increased the number of turbines at the data center in December 2025. Musselwhite, in a Dec. 16 board of aldermen meeting, alerted the public that he had been in contact with xAI and notified company officials that the noise levels were “unacceptable.”
Six months later, the noise persists, according to the plaintiffs. Those involved in suing the Musk companies hope the legal system will result in something being done about the noise. SuperTalk Mississippi News reached out to xAI for comment but had not heard back from the company at the time of publication.
