Vang: Why Minnesota should lead in banning AI nudification apps

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In the long, hard struggle for women’s rights, we have often been forced to defend ourselves against new and insidious forms of exploitation. Today, artificial intelligence has introduced yet another weapon in the war against women’s autonomy: AI-powered “nudification” technology.

Minnesota lawmakers have a chance to take a stand by passing landmark legislation that would ban the creation of nonconsensual explicit images before they can ever be spread. It is a necessary and urgent step to protect women, children and all vulnerable individuals from digital abuse.

For as long as women have fought for equality, we have also fought against the sexual objectification of women. Now, with just a few clicks, anyone can upload a fully clothed image of a woman — or a child —and an AI tool will generate a hyper-realistic nude image. It is the digital equivalent of assault, stripping away dignity and control in mere moments. The harm isn’t just in distribution; it’s in its existence itself. These images — whether used for blackmail, humiliation, revenge, voyeurism, kicks and giggles — rob individuals of their agency and privacy.

Minnesota’s proposed bill, led by Democratic Sen. Erin Maye Quade, acknowledges this fundamental truth. Unlike other state and federal efforts that focus on punishing those who distribute deepfake pornography, this bill targets the companies that create the software in the first place. It recognizes that prevention is the best form of protection. If these tools are inaccessible in Minnesota, they cannot be weaponized against our residents.

Opponents argue that such a law might be unconstitutional, a violation of free speech. But let’s be clear: Free speech does not include the right to fabricate and distribute nonconsensual sexual imagery. The First Amendment does not protect harassment. It does not protect digital sexual assault. And it certainly does not protect technology that exists solely to violate another person’s rights.

Women and girls are the primary targets of this predatory AI. A recent lawsuit by the San Francisco city attorney’s office goes after 16 of the most frequented nudification sites — platforms overwhelmingly used to victimize women and children. Once an explicit deepfake is created, it can live forever on the internet, resurfacing on social media, reshared on pornography sites, and used for blackmail schemes. The psychological damage inflicted on victims is devastating, and for young girls, it can wreck their entire future.

And let’s not forget: This isn’t just a women’s issue — it’s a children’s safety issue. Minnesota’s bill aligns with efforts across the country, such as Kansas’ expansion of child exploitation laws to include AI-generated images and Florida’s proposed felony charges for AI-created child sexual abuse material. The terrifying reality is that these tools can fabricate child sexual imagery, often indistinguishable from real photos. We cannot allow predators to exploit legal loopholes that protect “AI-generated” content from consequences. A crime against a child should be recognized as such, whether the image was produced with a camera or an algorithm.

When people imagine the dangers of AI, they picture Hollywood’s doomsday scenarios — robot uprisings, the end of humanity — or, at worst, lazy college students taking shortcuts on their English essays. What they don’t see is the real, immediate threat: AI being weaponized to violate women and children, stripping them — both literally and figuratively — of their dignity, their privacy, and their sense of safety. This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening now, and it’s an assault on our most fundamental rights.

The U.S. Senate has already recognized the urgency of this crisis, passing a bipartisan bill introduced by Minnesota’s own Sen. Amy Klobuchar as well as Sen. Ted Cruz to criminalize nonconsensual AI-generated sexual imagery nationwide. Even First Lady Melania Trump has used her platform to push for its passage in the House.

Minnesota can and should set a precedent for state-level leadership by preventing this material from ever being created in the first place.

The time to act is now. The AI technology is already here, and it is advancing at a terrifying pace. If we do nothing, the harm will only grow. If we do nothing, we send a message that women’s bodies are fair game for digital violation, that children’s images can be manipulated without consequence and that technology is more important than human dignity.

Minnesota has a rare opportunity to be at the forefront of a necessary movement — one that prioritizes protection over punishment, prevention over reaction. We must urge lawmakers to pass this bill and take a stand for our fundamental rights to privacy, safety and respect.

The fight for equality has always required courage. Now, Minnesota lawmakers must show theirs.