A new Minnesota law targeting the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit imagery takes effect this Saturday. This legislation imposes a 500,000 dollar fine on AI companies whenever their technology is used to generate or alter images to depict a person’s intimate parts without permission. The law received bipartisan support in the state legislature following a rise in incidents involving school-age students.
Legal proceedings intensified this week after xAI sought a temporary restraining order to halt the law’s implementation. The company, which manages the Grok chatbot, argued that the statute is overly broad and conflicts with protections established by the First Amendment. Lawyers for the company claimed the policy infringes on free speech rights.
U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank denied the request for a delay, noting that the timing of the lawsuit undermined the claim of immediate harm. The company waited until July 29 to file the motion, despite the law being signed nearly three months ago. Judge Frank pointed out that this delay in action contradicts the urgency presented in the court filings.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison pushed back against the lawsuit, stating that xAI failed to conduct due diligence. His office maintains that the legislation is a necessary step to curb the spread of deepfake imagery that targets individuals. The court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for August 19 to address the request for a formal injunction against the state law.
State lawmakers designed this policy to address the growth of deepfake technology in cyberbullying contexts. While xAI stated it does not oppose bans on the dissemination of non-consensual nude imagery, it contends the current language of the Minnesota statute reaches beyond that objective. For now, the regulation stands, and technology firms operating within the state must prepare for compliance as the enforcement date arrives.