U.S. Justice Department Defends Elon Musk's xAI Data Center as National Security Asset

The U.S. Department of Justice has classified Elon Musk's xAI data center, known as Colossus 2, as a national‑security asset and moved to block an environmental lawsuit filed by the NAACP. The suit alleges that dozens of gas turbines supplying power to the facility near South Memphis, Tennessee, operate without proper emissions permits. The Justice Department argues that shutting down the turbines would threaten U.S. security, the economy and energy supply, noting that the power supports AI systems used by the U.S. military.

Cameron Stanley, director of digital and artificial intelligence for the Department of Defense, said the xAI chatbot Grok – deployed as “Grok Gov” – has been used in recent operations against Iran, helping the U.S. launch more than 2,000 munitions to 2,000 targets within 96 hours. He highlighted the model’s capabilities for target identification, intelligence gathering, logistics, and medical supply chain management. Some Democratic lawmakers have voiced concerns about employing advanced AI in warfare without human oversight, urging legislation to limit such use.