Florida is writing the playbook for state AI enforcement. The Florida AI Bill of Rights is the piece it could not pass.
The reason runs through Miami.
PYMNTS describes Florida as an unlikely leader in state efforts to regulate AI and large platforms. Its Republican governor and attorney general have framed oversight as protection for children, privacy and human agency.
A Conservative State With an Aggressive Docket
The clearest example is OpenAI. Florida opened a criminal investigation in April after reviewing messages between ChatGPT and a suspect. The suspect is the alleged gunman in the 2025 Florida State University shooting.
In June the state filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. The allegations remain claims, not findings of liability. PYMNTS cites Streamline for the description of it as the first state suit of its kind.
Attorney General James Uthmeier then asked for a temporary injunction in September. It would bar OpenAI from developing new models without stringent safety safeguards.
MAIN has covered how Uthmeier wants to criminally charge AI companies. “A chatbot cannot be charged, but the corporation that designed it, trained it, and collected the subscription can,” he said.
Eight other states have since sued OpenAI too, MAIN reported. Florida is not among them, but it moved first.
The injunction request goes beyond compensation for alleged injuries. It would restrict how OpenAI builds future products.
OpenAI says it supports working with states on pragmatic policies. It maintains that its platform is not responsible for users’ criminal acts.
The courts will test those claims. The politics are moving faster than the cases.
The state is also pressing social platforms. PYMNTS notes Uthmeier sought limits on children’s access to Meta platforms and sued Discord over alleged failures to protect children.
Its approach targets allegedly addictive design features, such as infinite scrolling. PYMNTS calls it a potential model for other jurisdictions.
Where the Miami Speaker Comes In
The legislature tells a different story. Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a Florida AI Bill of Rights, and it passed the Senate.
House Speaker Daniel Perez then blocked it. MAIN has noted that Perez is a Republican representing Miami.
PYMNTS says his stance aligns with the Trump administration’s opposition to what it sees as burdensome state requirements. A December executive order directs the administration to seek a minimally burdensome national standard.
Perez has made that federal-first argument before. MAIN covered how Miami’s own House Speaker echoed Washington’s push for looser AI rules.
The result is a state that sues aggressively and legislates cautiously. It has litigation, but no comprehensive law.
Why Miami Companies Should Watch
For Miami businesses, the split sets the terms. Florida can enforce against AI companies in court even without a sweeping statute.
Miami’s AI sector includes health, finance and security firms that deploy models for clients. Any of them could find the attorney general’s office watching how products treat minors and vulnerable users.
Local hospitals show the practical response. Baptist Health built AI guardrails most hospitals lack.
Data centers add another front. PYMNTS says Florida’s technology debate includes approval authority, possible moratoriums and strain on electricity and water supplies.
MAIN has also followed how two Miami lawmakers shaped Florida’s data center law, and Miami is where those facilities concentrate.
PYMNTS closes with a note for companies. State enforcement can create real operational exposure even when federal policy favors deregulation.
An aggressive attorney general and governor cannot automatically turn their priorities into law. The Florida AI Bill of Rights is the proof.
The enforcement is real. The statute is not, and Miami helped decide that.
Sources:
- PYMNTS: Florida Takes Unlikely Lead Role in State Push to Regulate AI (October 30, 2026)
- MAIN: Florida’s AG Wants to Criminally Charge AI Companies
- MAIN: DeSantis Calls Anti-AI Stance a Losing Position for GOP
- MAIN: US Pushes Looser AI Rules, Miami’s Own Speaker Agrees
- MAIN: Baptist Health Built AI Guardrails Most Hospitals Lack
- MAIN: Two Miami Lawmakers Already Wrote Florida’s AI Law
- MAIN: From FAU Labs to State Courts, AI’s Claims Face Scrutiny