Trump eyes AI regulation amid Florida attention

Jim Turner
News Service of Florida

President Donald Trump on Monday pushed again for the federal government to control regulation of artificial intelligence as Florida lawmakers begin to delve into the effects of AI on the state.
“There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI,” Trump Monday posted on Truth Social, adding he intends to sign an executive order on the topic this week.
“We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS,” Trump continued.
“You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something. THAT WILL NEVER WORK!” Trump added.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has objected to the possibility of the federal government preempting state AI laws. He posted online Monday that an executive order couldn’t preempt state legislative action.
“Congress could, theoretically, preempt states through legislation,” DeSantis posted on X. “The problem is that Congress hasn’t proposed any coherent regulatory scheme but instead just wanted to block states from doing anything for 10 years, which would be an AI amnesty. I doubt Congress has the votes to pass this because it is so unpopular with the public.”
On Tuesday, several Florida House panels will hold discussions about issues related to AI. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said Monday the discussions are not a prelude to a massive regulatory bill.
“AI is a transformative technology, and like all technology it can have positive and negative impacts,” House spokeswoman Amelia Angleton said in a statement. “Our intention is to have a thoughtful discussion about AI in various policy areas and look at how current or potential uses align or misalign with Florida’s laws. Any conversation about a larger regulatory framework should be had at the federal level not in the states.”
Included among the House discussions, the Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee is slated to look at the impact of data centers on electric utilities; the Careers & Workforce Subcommittee will review the challenges of AI on the workforce; the Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee will consider how AI will be used in emergency management; and the Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee will look at the impact of AI on the practice of law.
Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said Monday he wants to see what is in the president’s executive order about AI regulation.
“The president has a view about this which is more global, is very energetic about wanting to see where AI can lead the business community … about the national defense,” Albritton told reporters. “If AI can help us defend this country more readily and more efficiently, I’m all in. So globally, I think the president has a great perspective on it.”
“What I appreciate about where the governor is coming from is,” Albritton continued, “he’s got concerns about how it impacts Floridians on a personal or individual basis and making sure that those liberties are protected.”
Over the summer, DeSantis was among opponents of a proposal in the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that, for a decade, would have prevented states from regulating artificial intelligence. The proposal did not pass.
Last week, DeSantis raised the issue of a possible 10-year preemption as he announced he was working with state lawmakers on AI legislation.
“That (a 10-year preemption) is basically saying, ‘Let the handful of tech companies let them drive the train, and we’re just along for the ride,’” DeSantis said during an appearance in The Villages.
DeSantis also warned that the technology could result in an “age of darkness and deceit” without adequate safeguards.
Also, Monday, DeSantis reiterated his desire for a Florida “citizens bill of rights” on AI, adding, “This will be so much worse for kids than social media if we don’t establish meaningful guardrails.”
DeSantis’ proposal envisions legislation to address issues such as protections from Chinese-created AI and deep fake videos and the impacts of huge data centers on the environment, water resources and utility bills.