Overview
- xAI filed a federal complaint in U.S. District Court challenging HF 1606 and asking the court to stop the law from taking effect, with the suit lodged on July 28.
- HF 1606 bans use, access and promotion of AI tools that create nonconsensual sexualized images, allows victims and the attorney general to seek damages, and sets civil fines up to $500,000 per unlawful use while carving out limited exceptions for outputs requiring substantial human technical or artistic control.
- In its complaint xAI argues the law is an overbroad, content-based ban that would chill protected speech by sweeping in satire, art and lawful edits and by using an expansive definition of “intimate part” that it says could cover shirtless or swimsuit images.
- xAI told the court it already enforces strict limits on nudification, says it has suspended accounts and reported abuse to authorities, and warned that HF 1606’s strict liability and high penalties could force the company to curb Grok/Grok Imagine features for Minnesota users.
- Minnesota officials including Attorney General Keith Ellison and Governor Tim Walz vowed to defend the law in court and the case now sets up a test over how far states may regulate harmful AI-generated content and platform liability while courts weigh First Amendment limits.