Gov. Ron DeSantis is pumping the brakes on the use of Artificial Intelligence, saying the growing technology could pose a threat to jobs across the country, including right here in the Sunshine State, while speaking at the Florida Rural Economic Summit in Ocala this week.
"A lot of people are saying that, as AI advances, that it's going to really undercut a lot of jobs, a lot of white collar jobs," DeSantis said. "I mean, the people that went to college, that, you know, they want to graduate and then go into like accounting or some of these things, the thought is maybe that is going to be there. I don't think it's a good thing."
The governor suggested not to go all-in on funding Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the future, adding that the technology could lead to unintended consequences.
"It's one of the reasons why I don't think we should be subsidizing," DeSantis said. "Why would we subsidize something that could potentially, you know, cause problems for folks?"
DeSantis also pointed to personal issues with AI, one involving his wife, Casey DeSantis, and their kids using the technology to develop songs, and the governor using "grok" to find the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots game earlier this month.
"Don't let anyone tell you, whoever's saying how great it is, there's going to be big pitfalls too," DeSantis said. "I mean, at best, right? You end up in a situation where people don't even know what's real; they're able to do all these things."
The Florida House of Representatives, aside from the governor's concern, also announced a legislative discussion in December on the future of AI and its impact on the state. Moreover, Speaker Danny Perez, who hasn't always been in line with the governor on issues, cautioned against the emergence of AI.
Other potential policymakers, including Miami mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez, have expressed more optimism about AI.
"We all recognize that AI may open new economic vistas," Perez wrote. "At the same time, we see stories about how AI can be abused, have adverse effects on education, or harm emotionally vulnerable users."
