Minnesota Wins Dispute over AI-Generated Nude Images

Minnesota may continue to enforce its ban on fake nude images created by artificial intelligence. It became the first US state to implement such a ban in early August. On Friday, a federal judge rejected a request from Elon Musk's company xAI, which sought to suspend the law's enforcement pending the outcome of a legal dispute.

The law prohibits website operators, software developers and others from allowing users to use artificial intelligence to create nude images of identifiable people. Minnesota aims to limit the spread of sexual content created without the consent of the people depicted.

xAI argued that the law restricts freedom of speech protected by the US Constitution. However, Judge Donovan Frank ruled that the company had not demonstrated that it would suffer harm during the ongoing dispute. At the same time, he acknowledged that the case raises complex constitutional issues related to new technology and its risks.

The company will appeal the decision. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said similar applications are also used to create material depicting child sexual abuse and to harass people.

(Reuters, lud)