xAI Sues Minnesota Over Ban on AI Nudify Apps
SpaceXAI, the merged AI and space venture of Elon Musk, filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to block the state's first-in-the-nation ban on apps that generate nonconsensual intimate imagery. The law, enacted in 2024, targets deepfake pornography created by AI nudify tools. The lawsuit argues the ban violates free speech protections under the First Amendment and is overly broad, potentially affecting legitimate uses of AI image generation. Minnesota's law imposes criminal penalties for creating or distributing such imagery without consent. The case highlights ongoing tensions between state efforts to regulate AI-generated abuse and tech companies' claims of constitutional overreach. No court date has been set.
Key facts
- SpaceXAI filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday.
- The lawsuit challenges Minnesota's ban on apps that generate nonconsensual intimate imagery.
- The ban is the first of its kind in the United States.
- The law was enacted in 2024.
- The lawsuit claims the ban violates the First Amendment.
- Minnesota's law imposes criminal penalties for creating or distributing nonconsensual deepfake pornography.
- The case has no scheduled court date yet.
- Elon Musk's xAI merged with his space ventures to form SpaceXAI.
Entities
Institutions
- SpaceXAI
- xAI
- Minnesota Attorney General's Office
- Minnesota State Legislature
Locations
- Minnesota
- United States
Sources
- Quartz —