xAI lawsuit fails to block Minnesota AI nudification ban

A federal judge in Minnesota has denied a request from xAI to temporarily block a state law that prohibits services from allowing users to “nudify” images or videos. The law, known as House File 1606, went into effect on August 1 and targets platforms that enable the creation of sexualized depictions through AI.

Judge Donovan Frank ruled against xAI’s request for a temporary restraining order, citing the timing of the application. The court noted that xAI filed the request nearly three months after the law was signed and only days before its implementation, suggesting a lack of immediate acute harm required for such an order. Consequently, the ban remains enforceable while the legal challenge continues.

xAI argues that the statute constitutes an overbroad, content-based restriction on free speech and visual expression. The company contends the law lacks sufficient liability protections for developers and uses definitions of “intimate parts” that could capture non-sexual, artistic, or educational imagery. Minnesota is the first U.S. state to ban the technology itself rather than focusing solely on the individuals using it.