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. Musk’s Grok AI chatbot has faced criticism over its creation of sexually explicit content. Regulators have sought stronger safeguards and imposed bans to help curb the spread of artificially created illegal material.
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.
