Elon Musk’s xAI loses court bid to block Minnesota's AI ‘nudification’ ban
A federal judge has denied xAI's request to block a Minnesota law that bans AI-generated nonconsensual sexual imagery. The court ruled that the constitutional challenge regarding free speech requires further consideration, allowing the law to remain in effect.
Why it matters
This case represents a critical legal intersection between First Amendment rights and the regulation of harmful AI-generated content.
Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation ban on AI-generated fake nude images will remain in effect as a constitutional challenge by Elon Musk’s xAI proceeds, after a federal judge on Friday declined to block the law at an early stage of the case.
Musk’s xAI company argues the measure restricts free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, while Minnesota says the law is narrowly tailored to curb the spread of nonconsensual sexual imagery created with artificial intelligence.
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank rejected xAI’s request for a preliminary injunction against the law, which took effect on August 1 and prohibits website operators, software developers and others from allowing users to “nudify” images of identifiable people using AI technology.
Frank’s order said xAI failed to show it would suffer harm while it pursues a lawsuit alleging the new law violates the Constitution’s First Amendment by restricting protected expressive activity.
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