New legal protections are coming to Sunshine State to combat the potential harms of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Speaking at the state’s Freedom Caucus Summit on September 5, Republican DeSantis said he is working on an “individual Bill of Rights for Artificial Intelligence” to protect Floridians from the negative impacts of generative AI technology.
“I think we need to recognize that there are a lot of changes in society when it comes to artificial intelligence,” DeSantis said. “We welcome technology that enhances the human experience. We don’t welcome any replacements to the human experience.”
Several major AI companies, including ChatGpt Maker Openai and Character.ai, have faced criticism amid media reports that users were hospitalized for “AI psychosis” or committed suicide after talking to AI chatbots for days and weeks.
“Our kids are not experimental rats for high-tech companies to experiment at the expense of mental health,” said Sen. Steve Padilla, a Democrat who introduced the law. “Chatbot users need general protections to ensure that developers do not adopt strategies that they know are addictive and predatory.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the group after the announcement, but there was no reply.
Desantis said Friday that the AI’s individual Bill of Rights would provide “protection against some of these technologies if they implement AMOK.”
“We understand that we are in a new world. We understand that there is something that will change, but we want to be governed by ‘our people’. I don’t want to be ruled by a handful of Silicon Valley oligarchs,” he said. “And we make sure we get it done.”
This is not the first time DaSantis has said it will implement AI regulations in the sun.
At a press conference in Panama City, Florida in late July, DeSantis told reporters that he would “implement several strong policies” to curb the impact of AI in the coming months.
“We may need some laws, but we have to do that, we have to be careful how this all loosens up,” he said.
He criticized President Donald Trump’s drastic version of budget bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. This originally contained provisions that prevented states from implementing AI regulations for 10 years.
“The Senate didn’t support it, and they didn’t get caught up in the law, but it was passed by Republicans. That basically means we’re at Beck and the Silicon Valley technology overlord. That’s not what I want from Florida,” the governor said.
Desantis highlighted the need to protect children from technology, especially as the technology of creating “deep fake” pornography continues to evolve from photos of victims.
“It’s the type that shouldn’t be able to provide some kind of protection against it, especially for young people, so that someone can’t do it to you,” he asked.
