Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spoken out against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, over its legal challenge to a new Minnesota law aimed at stopping AI-generated nude and sexualised deepfake images.
Harry And Meghan's Statement
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared their views in a statement published on the official Sussex website. They said, "Big Tech has taken shocking steps to limit restrictions on or accountability for these objectively predatory A.I. product features."
While they did not mention Musk by name, they referred to him as the "trillionaire leader of the tech company responsible for X's Grok." Grok is an AI-powered chatbot built by Elon Musk's company, xAI.
They also claimed, "The company is mitigating risk to their bottom line instead of aggressively responding to the clear evidence their product features are enabling predators to prey on women and children."
Grok Faces Multiple Lawsuits
Harry and Meghan also referred to several recent lawsuits involving Grok. They mentioned cases filed by UK Labour MP Jess Asato, an Arkansas family, and five children from Tennessee, who alleged that the AI chatbot generated sexually explicit content involving them.
According to reports, Asato claimed AI-generated images and videos showing her in explicit and degrading situations were created and shared without her consent.
What Does Minnesota Law Say?
The legal dispute centres on Minnesota's HF 1606, a law signed by Governor Tim Walz. It bans apps and websites from allowing users to create AI-generated nude or sexualised images of real people without permission.
The law also allows fines of up to $500,000 per violation and gives victims and the state's attorney general the power to take legal action.
The couple welcomed Minnesota's new law and also praised similar laws passed in Pennsylvania, North Dakota and California.
According to court documents reviewed by Newsweek, xAI says it supports banning non-consensual AI-generated explicit images but argues Minnesota's law is too broad. The company says it already blocks such content and should not be held liable if users bypass its safeguards.
Judge Rejects xAI's Plea
xAI asked a federal court to temporarily stop the law before it came into effect, but U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank rejected the request. The judge noted that the company filed its challenge only a few days before the law took effect, despite it having been signed months earlier.
A hearing on xAI's request for a longer-term injunction is scheduled for August 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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