Science & Tech · AI · 6 hrs ago
Musk expands Colossus 2 AI complex with two former industrial sites
Elon Musk is expanding Colossus 2 with two additional sites in the Memphis area.
He calls them Spam, a site that once housed Hormel-brand products, and Gun Range, formerly owned by the local police department.
Gun Range is due by November, Spam in December, Musk said.
Colossus 2 is an expansion of the Colossus supercomputer, built to provide more computing power for Grok, the AI chatbot made by xAI, which SpaceX acquired.
The facilities have faced local opposition, including protests, public-hearing attendance and petitions from residents near Memphis.
The NAACP sued xAI and its subsidiary over allegedly unpermitted methane gas turbines powering Colossus 2 in nearby Southaven, Mississippi.
A judge denied the companies’ bid to dismiss the lawsuit, so it has not been thrown out.
Elon Musk said he is expanding the Colossus 2 AI complex in Tennessee with two additional sites called Spam and Gun Range.
Musk said Gun Range is expected to be operational by the end of November and Spam in December.
The Spam site previously housed Hormel-brand products, while the Gun Range site was once owned by the local police department.
Colossus 2 is an expansion of the Colossus supercomputer project in Memphis, built to provide more computing power for xAI’s chatbot, Grok.
The NAACP has sued xAI and its subsidiary over alleged unpermitted methane gas turbines used to power Colossus 2.
- Who
- Elon Musk said he is expanding the complex. SpaceX teams and contractors are working on the sites.
- What
- Colossus 2 is being expanded with two additional locations called Spam and Gun Range.
- When
- Musk announced the expansion in a post on X. He said Gun Range is tracking to be operational by the end of November and Spam in December.
- Where
- The sites are part of the Colossus 2 complex in Tennessee; the article also says the turbines at issue are in Southaven, Mississippi.
- Why
- The expansion is intended to provide more computing power for AI systems, including xAI’s chatbot, Grok.
NAACP
xAI and MZX Tech
Turbine operation
NAACP
The NAACP alleges the companies unlawfully operated unpermitted methane gas turbines to power Colossus 2.
xAI and MZX Tech
xAI and MZX Tech sought to have the lawsuit dismissed; their reasons are not stated.
Musk built the Colossus supercomputer in Memphis.
Construction began on the Colossus 2 campus in Memphis.
The NAACP filed a lawsuit against xAI and its subsidiary, MZX Tech, over alleged unpermitted methane gas turbines.
A US District Judge denied xAI and MZX Tech’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
Musk said the Gun Range site is expected to be operational by the end of November and Spam in December.
- Expansion sites
- Spam and Gun Range
- Gun Range target
- Operational by the end of November
- Spam target
- Operational in December
- Original Colossus
- Built in Memphis in 2024
- Lawsuit defendants
- xAI and its subsidiary, MZX Tech
- Turbine location
- Southaven, Mississippi
What people are saying
I walked the whole Colossus 2 site around midnight and again this morning. Good progress by the SpaceX team and contractors
Gun Range is tracking to be operational by end of November and Spam in December.