Artificial intelligence has become an unavoidable technological phenomenon. Once only confined to science fiction books and films, we're increasingly seeing real-world examples. Perhaps the most well-known are AI personal assistants, like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, integrated into our phones and homes. However, this technology has also made its way into our healthcare industry, in educational settings, private businesses, and the criminal justice system. For some, AI may symbolize social progress, our untapped creative potential. Yet, there's also a dark side to this technology—its widespread use has harmful impacts.
Consider, for instance, the predominantly black community of Boxtown, located on the south side of Memphis, Tennessee, being polluted by turbines used to power a massive AI hub. In The Black Wallstreet Times, Andrew Sartain wrote that in this "historic black community…residents are being forced to inhale a future they never asked for." xAI, the company owned by Elon Musk, one of the wealthiest men in the world, "installed 45 methane-burning gas turbines." They are powering a machine called Colossus, named for its massive size. It's considered "one of the most energy-intensive artificial intelligence projects in the country." And, to add salt into the wound, "it's operating without full Clean Air permits." As it stands, every time someone asks "Grok" a question, they're contributing to the harm inflicted upon the black community.
Injustices like this occur because Black people and other marginalized groups are often denied the political power they need to make decisions about their communities. Without a seat at the table, these companies can prioritize their end goal, of making profits, and overlook their concerns. Make no mistake about it, what's happening to Boxtown is a textbook case of systemic racism. While personal racism refers to prejudice directed at members of racially marginalized groups, systemic racism involves a structure that perpetuates discrimination. In this case, installing numerous large turbines in a predominantly Black community lowers air quality for residents. And they shouldn't have to suffer so others can profit. Unfortunately, this is how environmental racism has historically functioned—companies setting up operations without regard for the black communities affected, and at times intentionally exposing them to pollution. It's a system devoid of empathy.
The irony shouldn't be lost on you that a white man with family ties to South Africa's apartheid regime has launched a project that harms Black Americans. It's another sign of our shared struggle. But knowing this was possible doesn't make it any less painful for those affected. According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, "dozens of turbines would generate up to 1.56 gigawatts of electricity. Estimates suggest that this is enough to power more than a million homes and it's more generating capacity than the Tennessee Valley Authority's Allen Gas Plant." While they initially claimed only 15 turbines were active, thermal imaging revealed that the company had more than twice as many running simultaneously. This shows a blatant disregard for the rule of law, as well as the health and well-being of Black people. While it's hard to determine if this was intentionally meant to cause harm, now that evidence shows Black communities are disproportionately impacted, it's unconscionable to keep it operational. Technology must be developed with ethics in mind. Just as psychologists cannot conduct research using human subjects without their informed consent and approval, private companies shouldn't be allowed to expose people to pollution while ignoring their concerns or the evidence of harm.
Even before Elon Musk authorized the construction of Colossus, the community of Boxtown in South Memphis had been exposed to environmental toxins. This is a continuation of harm. In 2021, Marie Odum, a resident of the town, shared the story of her father, an 80-year-old Black man raised on a Mississippi cotton plantation. Companies such as Valero and Byhalia Connection were "using the corrupt institutions of the state to steal land from Black residents to lay an oil pipeline," she told Jeremiah Smith, a journalist for Liberation News. "He feels like it's slavery all over again. My father worked this land for 64 years, and now they want to take it." Far too often, the success of white-owned American companies is achieved at the expense of Black people. This is similar to petrochemical plants setting up shop in Louisiana. In an area known as Cancer Alley, many are polluting the air, water, and land. There, companies have displaced Black people by contaminating the natural environment.
"Why do you have to make everything about race?" someone is likely shouting at their computer screen after reading this article. But the harsh reality is that Black people are subjected to racism in a system they did not create. Indeed, the reason the area in Memphis is mostly Black is due to racial redlining policies. The area was marked as a red zone to discourage investment. Now, when companies decide to build factories that emit dangerous levels of pollution, they often target mostly poor neighborhoods, which—because of this nation's legacy of racism—disproportionately impacts Black people. Due to no fault of their own, they are more likely to live in communities exposed to contaminated water, air, and soil. We're not talking only of the past but also of our current circumstances. And all this pollution has serious health consequences. Black children are found to be 8 times more likely to die of an asthma attack compared to White children. One report suggested "Black people across the country are exposed to more air pollution than white people, no matter the region where they live or their income levels. Air pollution can greatly worsen asthma symptoms."
Besides the harm associated with the maintenance of the technology, the tool itself has been used to reinforce inequality. Artificial intelligence has the façade of neutrality, but in actuality, it perpetuates harm against Black people and other marginalized groups. Essentially, it acts as a societal mirror. In a study published in Art Education, PhD candidate Ye Sul Park pointed out that since AI models "ar" trained on past data," t" ey tend to use images that mainly "re" lect the history of the art world that has been dominated by White Western artists." F" r another example, consider that many police departments across the country now use facial recognition software to identify potential suspects. While this might seem like a fair method at first glance, this technology has a higher chance of misidentifying Black people, leading to racially unequal outcomes. Gentzel (2021) argued that "any society that values liberty and equality" should work to eliminate such programs because "equality before the law" functions as a guard against the oppression of minorities and the disadvantaged.
Artificial intelligence is gaining a bad reputation, and for good reason. The construction and maintenance of these large data centers are damaging predominantly black communities. Although this type of technology is made up of code, zeros, and ones, not flesh and blood, it has real-world effects that we need to examine carefully. The health of our environment depends on our willingness to prioritize the health and well-being of Black people and marginalized groups over technological advancement. If we can't find a way to make it work without exposing communities to dangerous levels of pollution, it means we still have work to do. It starts with acknowledging that even some of our most savvy minds in tech need to listen and consider the impact on people. It also speaks to the privilege of White, wealthy people in this country that they continue to create systems that perpetuate harm.
Here's food for thought. A system inundated with racism no longer requires explicit racism to cause harm. The pattern continues regardless of those tasked with managing the system holding prejudice. Indeed, this is what makes systemic racism so difficult for some to wrap their heads around. Unlike personal racism, it does not always come in the form of explicit racism. Indeed, systemic racism can be best observed by evaluating the impact of laws and policies, as those who harbor racist attitudes are likely to deny any ill intent. If there’s anything we can take away from this, it’s that whenever racism is deeply rooted in a system, it must be fundamentally changed, replaced, or dismantled to restore justice. And while this concept may make some people feel uncomfortable, the notion that things cannot remain the same if we hope to live in a fair society, change is not only possible, it’s necessary. We can't make the fatal error of normalizing business ventures, such as xAI building Collusus, overlooking the harm caused to a predominantly black community.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Allison Gaines' work on Medium.