President Trump is drawing a line in the sand, threatening to unleash federal lawyers on states like Florida that try to pass what he calls “onerous AI laws,” but Governor Ron DeSantis is confident his planned regulatory framework will stand up to any federal challenge, as per Politico. This whole situation is getting spicy, and honestly, I love seeing states grapple with the practical reality of AI while the White House tries to establish a minimally burdensome national policy.
Governor DeSantis has introduced a massive list of recommendations for Florida lawmakers aimed squarely at consumer safety and parental control. He’s calling for companies to be required to notify consumers if they are interacting with an AI system. Furthermore, he wants to prohibit the use of AI for therapy or mental health counseling.
However, the governor’s proposed “bill of rights” is setting up a direct constitutional clash with the White House. President Trump is seeking “global AI dominance” and has threatened to unleash federal lawyers on state leaders who pass laws that might unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce or require AI models to alter their truthful outputs.
DeSantis, though, isn’t worried about the federal government interfering with his plans
DeSantis believes Florida is operating within its rights. “I’m not concerned about the recent executive order because it doesn’t apply against the states directly,” DeSantis said. “And I don’t think we’re going to be doing anything that would even give rise to a dormant Commerce Clause lawsuit from the U.S. DOJ. But to the extent we did, I’m confident that we’d be able to win that because, clearly, we’d be legislating within the confines of our 10th Amendment rights as states.”
Another crucial battleground for Florida’s AI legislation is the massive data center boom. These facilities are the lifeblood of the growing AI economy, but they are incredibly unpopular with residents, as these giant facilities bring pollution, create noise, drain key water resources, and drive up utility rates.
DeSantis is aligning himself with community opposition by proposing to restrict the growth of these data centers. He wants to stop state subsidies to tech companies and curb facilities from drying up local water resources. He even recently questioned whether Floridians would want to see a facility the “size of Manhattan” built in their state. The governor’s stance is definitely popular with residents, including ranchers in St. Lucie County who are fighting a proposed $13.5 billion hyperscale data center near their land.
Ultimately, new AI laws are another way for DeSantis to crack down on Big Tech, which he contends hasn’t faced enough oversight. He believes building new consumer and family protections is popular policy that transcends party lines. He said on December 15 that whether you’re a utility rate payer worried about data center costs or a parent concerned about child safety, “I think a lot of people have a lot of concerns about some of the things that could be on the horizon.”
Published: Dec 29, 2025 03:30 pm