TALLAHASSEE – In a move aligning with one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s key initiatives, a Republican senator has introduced a proposal known as the “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights.”

The proposal, designated as SB 482 and introduced by Senator Tom Leek from Ormond Beach, aims to address several concerns about the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence. Among its provisions, the bill seeks to implement measures that would shield minors from potentially harmful content. This legislative effort follows DeSantis’s call for an AI bill of rights and mirrors a similar executive order from former President Donald Trump, which aimed to standardize the regulation of AI across states.

Scheduled for discussion in the legislative session beginning January 13, Leek’s bill tackles a range of issues. It proposes to establish parental rights over their children’s interactions with AI technologies. Additionally, it underscores the importance of transparency, ensuring individuals have the right to know whether they are communicating with a human or an AI system. The bill also seeks to regulate the unauthorized use of personal identifiers like names, images, or likenesses.

Further, the legislation advocates for transparency in political advertising, mandating disclosure if AI was used in creating campaign ads. It also restricts Florida’s governmental bodies from engaging with AI companies linked to nations considered “foreign countries of concern,” specifically mentioning China and Russia.

While Trump’s efforts to limit state-level AI regulations have been notable, DeSantis remains optimistic. During a public appearance in Jupiter on December 15, he expressed confidence that Florida could move forward with its initiatives, believing that state-level AI legislation would hold up against any federal legal challenges.

“Even reading it (Trump’s order) very broadly, I think the stuff we’re doing is going to be very consistent,” DeSantis said. “But irrespective, clearly, we have a right to do this.”

Rather than preempting state laws, Trump’s Dec. 11 directive required the U.S. Department of Justice to create an “AI Litigation Council” to review “onerous” state laws that don’t align with the White House’s positions. States not in alignment could become ineligible for money intended to expand high-speed internet or face lawsuits.

DeSantis has also called for legislation to try to prevent Floridians from getting hit with costs related to massive data centers needed for AI and other technology. He also wants to allow local governments to reject development of the centers, which require large amounts of electricity and water.

Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, acknowledged in an email Monday that a separate bill is in the works about data centers.

Leek’s bill came after Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, filed a bill (HB 659) this month that includes requiring that users be notified when they are interacting with AI “companion chatbots,” with the notices required to say the chatbots “may not be suitable for some minors.”

“Increasingly, we are seeing heartbreaking cases where young people form deep emotional bonds with AI companions that end up pushing them further toward self-harm,” Hunschofsky said in a prepared statement Friday.

DeSantis and lawmakers in recent years have passed two high-profile bills that put restrictions on online platforms — with both measures leading to ongoing legal battles.

The tech industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association are challenging a 2021 law that includes preventing platforms from banning political candidates from their sites and requiring companies to publish — and apply consistently — standards about issues such as banning users or blocking their content. DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law after Facebook and Twitter, now known as X, blocked Trump from their platforms after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association also are fighting a 2024 law designed to prevent children from having access to certain social-media sites. They argue the law violates the First Amendment.

The law prevents children under age 14 from opening accounts on certain platforms — which court documents indicate could include platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Parents would have to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts on the platforms.