Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps

A federal judge has rejected xAI's bid to halt enforcement of a Minnesota law that prohibits apps enabling users to generate non-consensual nude imagery from ordinary photos. The ruling allows the state's ban to move forward while any underlying legal dispute continues, meaning developers and platforms offering such tools face active restrictions in Minnesota.

xAI, the AI company founded by Elon Musk, filed suit against the law, arguing likely on First Amendment or federal preemption grounds that the state lacked the authority to impose such a restriction. Courts applying the preliminary injunction standard must weigh factors including the likelihood of success on the merits and potential harm - and here the judge found those factors did not favor blocking the law.

So-called nudify apps use generative image models to strip clothing from photos of real people, producing synthetic nude imagery without the subject's knowledge or consent. These tools have drawn sustained criticism from lawmakers, researchers, and advocacy groups because they are disproportionately used to target women and minors. Several states have moved to restrict or outright ban them, and Minnesota's law represents one of the more direct legislative approaches to date.

The decision is notable because it is one of the first instances of a major AI company directly challenging a state-level generative AI restriction in court and losing at the injunction stage. The outcome may signal to other states that similar legislation can survive at least an initial legal challenge. Whether xAI pursues the case further, and how the merits are ultimately decided, will be closely watched by both the AI industry and advocates pushing for stronger protections against non-consensual synthetic imagery.