Residents living near Microsoft’s US$7.3 billion AI data centre in Fairwater, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, have taken the tech giant to court, alleging that the facility has been producing constant and excessive noise that has affected their daily lives. The lawsuit, filed by three residents from the neighbouring village of Sturtevant, claims the noise has caused property damage through private nuisance and negligence. The legal battle comes months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the campus as the “world’s most powerful AI data centre,” saying it connected “hundreds of thousands” of power-hungry chips “into a single seamless cluster.”
While the project was welcomed as a major step for artificial intelligence, nearby residents say living next to the massive campus has become increasingly difficult. According to reports by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the lawsuit alleges that Microsoft’s facility is generating “unreasonable and excessive noise onto Plaintiff’s properties, thereby causing property damages through private nuisance and negligence.”
Noise complaints grew from construction to round-the-clock humming
Reports say that according to the lawsuit, the sound is coming from “diesel generators and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems including chillers, cooling towers, air-handling units and condenser fans,” which residents describe as “consistent and pervasive.” The plaintiffs also claim Microsoft failed to reduce the disturbance through “adequate acoustic barriers, shields or walls.”
Residents say the problem has continued long after construction ended. One complainant, Amy Cimbalnik, told the publication that the sound resembles “the whirring engine of a freight train parked nearby” throughout the day and night. “We heard it 24 hours a day, and eventually realised it was coming from the Microsoft campus,” she said, as per reports. Another resident said construction noise continued from “sunrise past sunset daily” for two years before being replaced by a constant mechanical hum, while another claimed the “noise all day and night” disrupted his sleep.
Microsoft says noise issue has been resolved but residents disagree
As per reports, Microsoft acknowledged the lawsuit and said it remains “committed to being a good neighbour in the communities where we build, own, and operate our data centres.” The company had earlier said it had resolved the problem, but the latest lawsuit, filed on July 1, suggests residents remain dissatisfied.
In a June 18 blog update, Microsoft said it had investigated the “source of the sound” and “conducted tests and put noise mitigations in place.” The company said a “tonal humming sound” had been traced to “cooling fans that are currently operating at high speeds.” The blog added, “Several neighbours confirmed what our independent monitoring showed: that these mitigations fully resolved the issue.”
Microsoft lawsuit reflects wider concerns over AI data centre expansion
Reportedly, Sean Ryan, communications director for the Village of Mount Pleasant, said officials had not received further complaints after Microsoft made changes in mid-April to “resolve a humming sound.” He added, “Village officials stand ready to respond if people do reach out to us, and will continue to ensure Microsoft is a good corporate citizen and a good neighbour.”
The lawsuit is the latest in a growing backlash against large AI data centres, with concerns ranging from noise pollution and environmental impact to water use as such facilities expand into residential areas. Microsoft is planning to build 15 data centres in Mount Pleasant alone, raising fears among residents that more facilities could mean more noise—and possibly more legal battles in the future.
Also Read: Nothing Phone 4B Launches In India Today: Check Expected Price, Camera, Specs And RCB Edition
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
