Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he’s working with Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and other lawmakers on legislation aimed at protecting Floridians from the effects of rapidly developing artificial intelligence.
Warning that without sufficient safeguards, the technology could result in an “age of darkness and deceit,” DeSantis said the legislation will address issues such as protections from Chinese-created AI and deepfake videos and the impacts of huge data centers on the environment, water resources and utility bills.
“These are legislative proposals. … We’ve worked with a number of senators and … some House members. You know, I personally had discussions with President Ben Albritton,” DeSantis said during an appearance in The Villages.
DeSantis’ comments came as House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, has declared next week “Artificial Intelligence Week” in the House. A variety of House panels will look at AI issues.
“As policy makers, our understanding of the issue is complicated by the rapid emergence of this complex technology, and, as we’ve seen with social media, short-term legislative choices can have serious long-term consequences,” Perez said in a Nov 18 memo.
DeSantis has objected to federal proposals to prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence.
Comments come days after Megan Thee Stallion’s deepfake defamation lawsuit in Miami
DeSantis’ announcement comes just days after jurors ruled in favor of Megan Thee Stallion in a defamation lawsuit inside a Miami federal courtroom, where she accused a Texas blogger of spreading a sexually explicit deepfake video of the Grammy-winning rapper online.
Megan Thee Stallion, who filed the lawsuit under her legal name Megan Pete, accused blogger Milagro Cooper of spreading harmful online posts and circulating an AI-generated pornographic video, violating a new Florida law that allows lawsuits over manipulated images.
The nine-member jury found Cooper, also known online as Milagro Gramz, liable for defamation and has been ordered to pay Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, $75,000.
