Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota to block a first-in-the-nation law banning nudification technology. The law, which was signed in May and is set to take effect this Saturday, prohibits websites and apps that use artificial intelligence to create fake nude images of real people.
xAI is asking the court to declare the law unconstitutional and bar the state from enacting it, arguing that the ban violates First Amendment free speech protections. The company claims the law is overly broad and notes that such technology can be used for the satire of prominent people. Musk is specifically defending Grok in this legal challenge.
Minnesota's law differs from other state and federal deepfake regulations by holding the makers of the tools responsible rather than only penalizing the users. Under this legislation, xAI faces potential penalties of $500,000 per violation. The outcome of the lawsuit may serve as a test for the extent to which states can constitutionally regulate the use of artificial intelligence.