Elon Musk's xAI, now owned by SpaceX, filed a lawsuit Monday against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in federal court to challenge a state law banning so-called nudify apps. The lawsuit argues the statute imposes an overbroad, content-based ban on free speech in an attempt to prohibit nudification. The Minnesota law, which takes effect Saturday, targets apps and websites enabling non-consensual sexualized imagery generation, imposing $500,000 fines each time a user creates explicit deepfakes. The law was passed in April and spearheaded by state Sen. Erin Maye Quade after a case involving over 80 women whose images were used without consent.
xAI Files Federal Lawsuit Against Minnesota Attorney General
In their complaint filed in a federal court in Minnesota on Monday, attorneys for xAI wrote that the statute "imposes an overbroad, content-based ban on free speech and the tools of visual expression in a clumsy attempt to prohibit 'nudification.'" The company, now operating as SpaceXAI, is challenging the law before its Saturday effective date.
Minnesota Law Imposes $500,000 Fines for Nudify App Violations
The Minnesota law targets apps and websites that give people the ability to generate non-consensual sexualized imagery, levying $500,000 fines each time a user creates explicit deepfakes. The law was passed in April and spearheaded by Minnesota state Sen. Erin Maye Quade after she learned about a man who created sexualized images and videos of over 80 women he knew using their social media photos without their consent. Maye Quade told CNBC in September that the proposed bill was similar to older laws prohibiting the act of peeping into windows to capture explicit photos.
xAI Prohibits Non-Consensual Image Generation in Defense
Musk's company argues that it "strictly prohibits" users from generating nude or sexualized images of people without their consent. The company noted in its complaint that it's filed suit against users who "evade its extensive technological blockers to generate such images in violation." The company has filed a similar suit to challenge a California law intended to thwart AI-generated, or "deepfake" content in the state.
Separate Class Action Alleges Grok AI Used for CSAM
SpaceXAI is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from plaintiffs who allege that the company's Grok AI chatbot and image generator was used to create and share child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting them as minors based on real photos or videos. The suit also alleges that xAI failed to share information with authorities about alleged perpetrators who used Grok to "nudify" their images.
FAQ
What did xAI file against Minnesota on Monday?
xAI filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to challenge a state law banning nudify apps. The lawsuit argues the statute imposes an overbroad, content-based ban on free speech.
What fines does the Minnesota nudify app law impose?
The Minnesota law, which takes effect Saturday, imposes $500,000 fines each time a user creates explicit deepfakes using apps or websites that generate non-consensual sexualized imagery. The law was passed in April.
What separate legal action is xAI facing?
xAI is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from plaintiffs who allege the company's Grok AI chatbot and image generator was used to create and share child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting them as minors, and that xAI failed to share information with authorities about alleged perpetrators.
