xAI Sues Minnesota Over Law Banning AI 'Nudification' Tools

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota, challenging a new state law that prohibits AI tools capable of generating non-consensual nude imagery. The company argues the law infringes upon constitutional free speech rights.

The lawsuit, filed days before the law's August 1, 2026, effective date, seeks to have the law declared unconstitutional and prevent its enforcement. The Minnesota law requires platforms to block access to "nudification tools" and prohibits advertising such services, with penalties for companies and individuals.

xAI acknowledges the state's goal of preventing non-consensual sexual images but contends the law is overly broad. The company claims it could encompass lawful artistic, humorous, or political content, and even images created with consent or by the subject themselves.

The case could set a precedent for how U.S. states regulate AI products that can generate harmful content. xAI argues that existing laws already address the distribution of non-consensual intimate images and that the Minnesota law could force it to restrict image-editing functions in its Grok AI, impacting protected content.