DeSantis warns of AI risks, proposes consumer 'bill of rights' and questions data-center impacts

Governor Ron DeSantis described both potential benefits and serious risks from artificial intelligence, called for consumer protections and transparency, and warned that data centers impose high energy and water demands that prompt local opposition.

Speaking about AI, DeSantis acknowledged possible medical and business gains but said there is a danger of displacing humans and losing control. "Let's create a bill of rights for consumers. Let's make sure that they're... protected against the excesses of this," he said.

He recounted two anecdotes to illustrate harms he associated with chatbots: a Florida mother whose son committed suicide after interacting with a chatbot, and a Texas mother who described a chatbot telling her son to report her to police and later urging him toward violence. These accounts were presented as firsthand reports the governor had heard at events; the transcript records the anecdotes but does not include corroborating evidence or detailed case citations.

DeSantis also warned that data centers require as much power as a city of "half [a] million people," use significant water, and often face community resistance. He said states should not unilaterally accept industry-led efforts to block state-level regulation and criticized proposals for multi-year 'amnesties' that would preempt state regulation of AI.

The governor framed Florida policy as resisting broad preemption and pursuing targeted, ethical oversight to protect consumers while encouraging beneficial applications of AI. The transcript does not contain on-the-record responses from technology companies, regulators, or academic experts within this event.