On July 22, 2026, the Knight Institute filed an amicus brief in xAI LLC v. Bonta, a case concerning a California law requiring developers of generative AI systems to disclose information about the data they use to train their models.
The Institute’s amicus brief argues that the public needs greater transparency into the generative AI systems that are fast becoming part of our online lives. The large technology companies that develop these systems gatekeep information about how they are built, how they operate, and how they impact our information ecosystem. Transparency laws can disrupt these information monopolies and empower users to make informed decisions as both consumers and citizens.
The Institute’s brief further argues that transparency laws that facilitate the free flow of accurate information about commercial products or services should be subject to a relaxed standard of review under the First Amendment. Under that standard, the brief argues, xAI has not shown that California’s generative AI transparency law violates the First Amendment because the law advances the state’s interest in informing users about generative AI systems and does not appear to impose an undue burden on xAI’s speech.
Status: Briefing ongoing.
Case Information: x.AI LLC v. Bonta, No. 26-1591 (9th Cir.).