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Top Florida Republican leaders and candidates are doubling down on their push to regulate artificial intelligence as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a fierce critic of the technology, prepares to leave office.
Sunshine State Republicans are promising to ramp up rules on AI — including on chatbots — even as the Trump administration pushes back against strict regulations on the new technology.
Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.), the GOP gubernatorial frontrunner, told reporters he disagrees with President Trump on AI federal preemption, which would prohibit states from instituting most regulations on AI. On Monday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over ChatGPT’s alleged harm.
Their skepticism about the technology aligns with DeSantis, who broke with Trump last year on AI preemption, arguing states have a right to regulate the technology alongside the federal level. The former 2024 presidential candidate has since emerged as one of the most vocal proponents on AI safety from a reliably red state.
And after Trump signed an executive order late last year to start the process of establishing a national AI standard that would preempt most state laws, DeSantis argued the order does not block Florida or other states from issuing their own AI regulations.
One Florida Republican lobbyist said the temperature on the issue is “heating up” because of DeSantis’s efforts to combat AI and data centers in the state.
“He’s kind of scared people around that,” the lobbyist said, noting DeSantis’ efforts on the matter.
Earlier this year, the state Senate passed the DeSantis-backed Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, but the legislation was killed by state House Speaker Daniel Perez (R), a vocal DeSantis critic and Trump ally.
A University of North Florida poll released in March found 86 percent of likely Florida midterm voters said they back specific regulations on AI. The same poll found that 48 percent said they supported AI, while another 48 percent said they opposed it.
The Florida Republican lobbyist also noted that DeSantis has leverage on the issue given his own popularity, which sits at 50 percent or more in most polls. Trump, on the other hand, holds a 46 percent approval rating in the state, according to an Emerson College poll released in April.
Additionally, the lobbyist noted that Donalds sees the writing on the wall when it comes to AI in Florida.
When asked Monday whether there are areas he differs from the president, Donalds told reporters he has a “slight disagreement” with Trump’s push for a national AI standard, stating “the states do need to lead.”
“I understand what the president wants to accomplish, I really do. But being on Capitol Hill, man, it’s so difficult getting good policy through that place, especially with the United States Senate,” Donalds said, pointing to the challenges in passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, legislation aimed at tightening voter registration and election administration rules.
According to a Politico report, Donalds — who is endorsed by Trump — said the Sunshine State has “a standard when it comes to business regulation that is common sense.” The Florida congressman reportedly said he wanted the ability to establish state regulations over constituents’ name, image and likeness being used in AI-made content, along with policies that expand parental control over what kids are exposed to.
It comes as Washington stalls on passing a national AI standard, despite Trump’s requests. Republican lawmakers in Washington also failed to include a 10-year moratorium on state AI laws in legislation in two attempts last year.
The White House, and many technology companies, argue preemption will eliminate “undue burdens” on innovation and boost America’s competitive standing.
“This is one of those things in a sort of populist moment where a lot of people are worried about AI and a lot of people are vocalizing that,” GOP strategist Chris Johnson told The Hill, adding later, “If you’re going to break with the president on something, and I don’t think this is even that significant…is really sharp, politically.”
Brendan Steinhauser, a GOP strategist and president of the advocacy group Alliance for Secure AI, is holding out hope that state and federal leaders’ views on AI will also get closer given the administration’s increased talks of safety and AI risks in recent weeks.
“If you are seen as doing the bidding to Big Tech, you’re going to pay a political price,” Steinhauser said, adding he is “very happy” to see Donalds encourage safety measures for AI.
The president signed a long-awaited executive order on Tuesday setting up a voluntary government testing process for AI firms to provide the government with their models up to 30 days before public release. The order followed weeks of delays and abrupt cancellation late last month as concerns over the cybersecurity risks of AI came to the forefront.
“The White House is kind of moving toward DeSantis’s position on this,” the Florida Republican lobbyist said, arguing the White House is taking the same political considerations into account that candidates like Donalds are.
The lobbyist called the order “a big departure.”
“[David] Sacks is losing influence because of politics,” the lobbyist said, referring to Trump’s former AI and crypto czar who pushed for pro-innovation policies.
Brendan Steinhauser, a GOP strategist and president of the advocacy group Secure Alliance for AI, is holding out hope state and federal leaders’ views on AI will also get closer given the administration’s increased talks of safety and AI risks in recent weeks.
“If you are seen as doing the bidding to Big Tech, you’re going to pay a political price,” Steinhauser said, adding he is “very happy” to see Donalds encourage safety measures for AI.
Uthmeier, who worked on DeSantis’s 2024 presidential campaign, has similarly made kids safety — and as a result, AI chatbots — a large part of his platform as well.
The Florida prosecutor has an open criminal investigation into OpenAI after the state learned the individual accused of fatally shooting two people at Florida State University communicated with ChatGPT before the incident.
Uthmeier announced a separate civil lawsuit against the company on Monday, making the state the first to sue OpenAI and Altman over the design of its products. The suit accused OpenAI of promoting a product they knew could harm users and pointed to various incidents involving teen deaths or suicide allegedly related to conversations with ChatGPT.
Uthmeier told reporters on Monday that legislative bodies, “especially Congress in D.C., often takes them a long time, too long, to step up and have decisive leadership and change policy.”
“I have a whole separate set of tools beyond that new legislation, where if there is deception, if parents are being deceived, and if consumers in this state are being hurt, Florida law gives me broad authority to go after and make people pay for it,” Uthmeier said. “So, I hope more legislation will come.”
He acknowledged AI can be a helpful tool in cases such as tracking down child predators but takes issue with products designed to be “addictive” and “encourage” kids to engage in dangerous behavior.
While Florida leaders may not be fully in line with Trump on AI, online kids safety is an area with more agreement. The president’s push for preemption also calls for exemptions for kids safety AI laws, though the definitions of what will qualify remains murky without an actual bill introduction.
Steinhauser is optimistic state and federal leaders could inch closer to agreement, though he said debate is not over yet.
“You should expect to see some differences within the Republican party and frankly, within the Democrats as well on this issue, and I think the movement is toward safety and security … but there’s still going to be some debates on how exactly to proceed,” he said.
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