Every public college in Florida may soon need a written AI policy. The state's proposed rule already draws a hard line most universities haven't addressed yet.
Florida's Department of Education wants all 28 Florida College System institutions to adopt formal AI policies. Education Commissioner Henry Mack approved the proposal Monday.
What the Rule Actually Requires
The policies would need to cover students, staff and campus guests. That includes academic integrity, course assignments and grading specifically.
The proposed rule spells this out directly.
"The purpose of this rule is to require Florida College System institutions to adopt policies... for the use and limitations of use of artificial intelligence tools," it states.
That language covers three specific areas. Education quality, operational efficiency, and campus safety.
The State Board of Education takes up the rule at its September 16 meeting. That's happening at Polk State College in Winter Haven.
One exclusion stands out. The rule doesn't cover AI tools built to "meet a student's social needs."
That includes anything simulating friendship or using design features meant to keep a student engaged emotionally.
The Same Fight Already Playing Out in K-12
Florida's K-12 districts are already working through a similar mandate. Parents must be notified when a school approves an AI instructional tool, with the right to opt their child out entirely.
AI used in PreK through fifth grade faces additional review before approval. No K-12 AI tool can simulate an emotional relationship with a student or use anthropomorphic features to encourage continued interaction.
MAIN has already covered a similar concern playing out internationally. China moved to ban AI companions for minors over comparable worries about emotional dependence.
The Political Backdrop
This rule fills a gap state lawmakers left open earlier this year. A broader "AI Bill of Rights," a top DeSantis priority, never addressed AI use in schools or colleges at all.
That bill died after House Speaker Daniel Perez blocked it repeatedly.
That included a special session DeSantis called specifically to revive it. Perez maintained the issue should be left to federal regulators.
Florida is separately pursuing a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.
Attorney General James Uthmeier alleges ChatGPT contributed to several violent incidents nationally. Those cited in the suit include a fatal 2025 shooting at Florida State University.
The lawsuit's claims remain allegations in active litigation, not established findings. OpenAI has not been reported responding publicly to the specific claims in Florida's suit.
What This Means for Miami
Miami-Dade College and Broward College both fall under this rule if the State Board approves it September 16. Both will need formal AI policies covering exactly the academic integrity questions faculty are already navigating informally.
The social-AI exclusion matters locally too.
Any campus tool marketed as an AI study companion needs to stay clearly on the instructional side of that line. Not the relationship side.
Miami's colleges have roughly three weeks to prepare before this becomes a real compliance question, not a theoretical one.
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