Minnesota's AI nudification ban can go into effect during Musk lawsuit, federal judge rules
Minnesota's new anti-nudification law can proceed while a lawsuit brought forth by billionaire Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company plays out, a federal judge ruled Friday.
The first-of-its-kind law bans the process of taking someone's real picture and using AI to turn it into a pornographic or sexual image.
The bill passed unanimously in the state Senate earlier this year and was supported by all but one lawmaker in the House. Gov. Tim Walz signed it into law in May.
Musk's company, xAI, filed a lawsuit three days before the law was set to go into effect on Aug. 1, claiming it violates the First Amendment. It said the statute "imposes an overbroad, content-based ban on free speech and the tools of visual expression."
xAI asked for a preliminary injunction to block the law from going into effect for the duration of the lawsuit.
Friday, the judge rejected the injunction, citing the state's strong public interest and a sweeping bipartisan agreement in passing the law. The judge said xAI demonstrated a lack of diligence in waiting three months to file a last-minute lawsuit and failed to establish a threat of irreparable harm.
The court considered the "balance of harms," and determined "public interest tips steeply in favor of the State," according to the memorandum.
"I am extremely proud to be defending this law, and along with it, the dignity of the people of Minnesota," said Attorney General Keith Ellison. "Minnesota's landmark, overwhelmingly bipartisan and nearly unanimously approved law banning AI technology products, like X.AI's Grok Imagine, from generating nudified and other sexual images continues to be in effect."
Under the law, companies that create non-consensual sexualized images and videos of people using artificial intelligence could face a civil penalty of up to $500,000, and the people who have been victimized can seek damages.
WCCO is reaching out to xAI's legal counsel for comment on Friday's ruling.
