Microsoft Faces Lawsuit Over Noise From Wisconsin AI Data Centre
Microsoft is facing a class-action lawsuit from Wisconsin residents who allege persistent noise from its Fairwater AI data centre has disrupted daily life and reduced property enjoyment.
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Microsoft is facing a class-action lawsuit from people living near its Fairwater AI data centre in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, who say the constant noise from the facility has affected their lives and damaged their property.
Three neighbours from the nearby village of Sturtevant filed the lawsuit, alleging the tech company created a private nuisance and was negligent in not stopping noise from spreading beyond the site, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The complaint claims the noise is coming from diesel generators and several heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, including chillers, cooling towers, air-handling units and condenser fans.
The residents say Microsoft failed to put in sufficient acoustic barriers and other mitigation measures to contain the noise.
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Residents Allege Around-the-Clock Noise:
One of the plaintiffs, Amy Cimbalnik, told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the sound resembles the engine of a freight train operating continuously throughout the day and night.
"We heard it 24 hours a day, and eventually realised it was coming from the Microsoft campus," she said.
Another resident told regulators that construction-related pounding continued from sunrise until after sunset for nearly two years before being replaced by a constant mechanical hum operating around the clock.
According to PCMag, another resident said the persistent noise had negatively affected his sleep.
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Microsoft Says It Took Corrective Action:
Microsoft acknowledged the lawsuit and said it remains committed to being a responsible neighbour in the communities where it builds and operates data centers.
In an update to its blog published 18 June, the company said it had investigated the source of the noise, conducted testing and implemented mitigation measures. Earlier updates, in mid-April, identified the humming noise as coming from high-speed cooling fans.
Microsoft said several neighbours confirmed independent monitoring showed the mitigation measures had fixed the issue.
“Since Microsoft made changes to the site in mid-April, we haven’t had any complaints,” said Sean Ryan, communications director for the Village of Mount Pleasant, in an email to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Officials will continue to respond to any future concerns and work to ensure Microsoft remains a good corporate neighbour, he said.
