Minnesota’s ban on AI ‘nudification’ paused after ruling by federal appeals court

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked Minnesota’s ban on AI nudification technology as part of xAI’s lawsuit filed earlier this year.

On Friday, the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an injunction sought by Elon Musk’s company, pausing enforcement of the ban while court proceedings move forward.

The Minnesota Legislature passed the “nudification” ban this spring, approving a $500,000 penalty for each unlawful access or download of images that were altered to make someone appear naked or worse. The law then took effect on Aug. 1.

However, just a few days before Aug. 1, xAI filed a lawsuit, claiming Minnesota’s law “imposes an overbroad, content-based ban on free speech and the tools of visual expression in a clumsy attempt to prohibit ‘nudification.’...