The St Louis-based 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals put Minnesota’s ban on AI-generated fake nude images on hold on 2 October, granting xAI’s request for an injunction while the company pursues a lawsuit alleging that the law is unconstitutional, Reuters reported.
Key points
- The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted xAI’s request for an injunction on 2 October, putting Minnesota’s ban on AI-generated fake nude images on hold.
- xAI alleges in its lawsuit that the Minnesota law is unconstitutional.
- A lower court judge rejected a request to stop the law in September.
The 8th Circuit grants xAI’s injunction request
The appeals court’s order changes the immediate position of Minnesota’s ban. A lower court judge had refused in September to stop the law. The 8th Circuit has now granted the injunction xAI sought, leaving the ban on hold while the company pursues its constitutional case.
The sequence matters for the operation of the law. The September ruling left Minnesota’s ban in place despite xAI’s request for an order stopping it. The 2 October ruling puts the ban on hold. Both decisions concerned whether the law would remain in effect while xAI’s lawsuit proceeded.
Minnesota’s ban faces xAI’s constitutional challenge
Minnesota’s law targets AI-generated fake nude images. Reuters described it as the first ban of its kind in the United States. xAI, which the news agency described as a technology and social media company, is challenging the ban on constitutional grounds.
The lawsuit and the injunction serve different purposes in the proceedings. xAI is pursuing its allegation that the law is unconstitutional. Its request to the appeals court concerned whether Minnesota’s ban would operate during that challenge. The 8th Circuit granted that request on 2 October, after the lower court judge had rejected an order stopping the law in September.
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