Florida Needs Clear Thinking on Artificial Intelligence | American Enterprise Institute
Florida Needs Clear Thinking on Artificial Intelligence | American Enterprise Institute
Publish Date: 2026-03-11 05:32:00
Source Domain: www.aei.org
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is correct that artificial intelligence deserves serious attention from policymakers. AI is rapidly transforming economies, and states that understand this will attract investment, talent, and innovation. But if Florida hopes to lead, its debate over an “AI Bill of Rights” should begin with a clearer understanding of what AI is—and what it isn’t.
Florida has built a reputation for being open for business, entrepreneurial, and forward-looking. That spirit is already visible in the state’s embrace of AI. The University of Florida partnered with Nvidia to host one of the fastest supercomputers in higher education, helping transform research and education. Florida agriculture is deploying AI-guided drones to monitor crops and smart sprayers that reduce chemical use by roughly 30 percent. Cities use AI for traffic management. Researchers at UF, Florida International University, and the University of Central Florida are using AI to treat pancreatic cancer, improve brain imaging, predict heart disease, and improve patient care.
Yet much of the current discussion about AI policy rests on misconceptions.
The first is the fear that AI will “supplant” humans. But replacing human effort is exactly how technological progress improves lives. Tractors replaced human and animal labor in agriculture, spreadsheets replaced armies of accountants, and automated logistics replaced manual scheduling. Fifty years ago, one American farmer fed about 73 people. Today, that number is roughly 165. If farm productivity had remained unchanged, the US would need millions more farmers—over twice today’s entire nursing workforce. Automation didn’t eliminate work; it freed people to do other things and helped make food, transportation, and countless goods more affordable.
The second misconception is that AI can somehow be “unplugged.” The governor has said there must be a way to pull the plug if AI causes harm. But AI…
