DeSantis Highlights Urgent Risks of AI and Data Centers, Advocates for Stronger Regulations

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is intensifying his campaign against the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. This move comes as he resists President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent states from regulating Big Tech.

In his final state-of-the-state address, DeSantis, who is barred from seeking reelection this year, highlighted the risks associated with the rapid expansion of data centers. He reiterated his call for stricter AI regulations, proposing legislation that would prohibit minors from accessing chatbots without parental consent and restrict tech companies from selling or publishing personal data.

“This technology threatens to upend key parts of our economy in ways that can leave many Americans out of work, with consumers shouldering the costs of power-intensive data centers,” he warned Florida lawmakers. “It presents real perils for children and parents.”

DeSantis’s stance positions him as a skeptic of AI, contrasting sharply with many fellow Republicans, including Trump. The former president recently signed an order aimed at blocking state-level regulation of AI through lawsuits and funding cuts. DeSantis, 47, has been vocal about his concerns regarding AI’s impact on jobs, the electricity grid, and the well-being of children as he contemplates his political future.

“I’d hate to see what happens after a big hurricane when you try to get the power turned on. Imagine if you want to have the power turned back on in Fort Lauderdale, and the data center comes first.”

During his address in Tallahassee, DeSantis amplified a critique he has been making for months. He expressed worries that data centers catering to AI could jeopardize the stability of the electricity grid due to their high energy consumption.

“We are going to make sure Floridians are not roadkills of AI,” he stated at a recent news conference about insurance rates.

Concerns regarding power costs are escalating, even reaching the White House. Earlier this week, Trump asserted that tech giants should bear the costs associated with data center electricity, a sentiment that DeSantis praised.

“We’ve been beating this drum for months: no passing on electricity costs to consumers for AI data centers,” the governor noted on X.

In contrast to DeSantis’s cautious approach, many states are eager to attract investment in data center projects. For instance, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has welcomed at least $50 billion in planned investments in data centers since November, promoting the state as a business-friendly environment.

According to a Bloomberg analysis, data centers in Texas currently consume enough electricity to power 3.3 million homes, with future plans set to increase their energy needs tenfold. In comparison, Florida’s data centers use enough energy to power 100,000 homes.

“I’d hate to see what happens after a big hurricane when you try to get the power turned on,” DeSantis reiterated at the insurance event. “Imagine if you want to have the power turned back on in Fort Lauderdale, and the data center comes first.”

As he navigates his political future with about a year left in office, DeSantis’s skepticism towards AI appears to resonate across party lines in the U.S. Notably, at least $98 billion in data center projects faced delays or were blocked due to local opposition in the second quarter of 2025, according to Data Center Watch, an advocacy group monitoring such developments.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is intensifying his campaign against the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. This move comes as he resists President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent states from regulating Big Tech.

In his final state-of-the-state address, DeSantis, who is barred from seeking reelection this year, highlighted the risks associated with the rapid expansion of data centers. He reiterated his call for stricter AI regulations, proposing legislation that would prohibit minors from accessing chatbots without parental consent and restrict tech companies from selling or publishing personal data.

“This technology threatens to upend key parts of our economy in ways that can leave many Americans out of work, with consumers shouldering the costs of power-intensive data centers,” he warned Florida lawmakers. “It presents real perils for children and parents.”

DeSantis’s stance positions him as a skeptic of AI, contrasting sharply with many fellow Republicans, including Trump. The former president recently signed an order aimed at blocking state-level regulation of AI through lawsuits and funding cuts. DeSantis, 47, has been vocal about his concerns regarding AI’s impact on jobs, the electricity grid, and the well-being of children as he contemplates his political future.

“I’d hate to see what happens after a big hurricane when you try to get the power turned on. Imagine if you want to have the power turned back on in Fort Lauderdale, and the data center comes first.”

During his address in Tallahassee, DeSantis amplified a critique he has been making for months. He expressed worries that data centers catering to AI could jeopardize the stability of the electricity grid due to their high energy consumption.

“We are going to make sure Floridians are not roadkills of AI,” he stated at a recent news conference about insurance rates.

Concerns regarding power costs are escalating, even reaching the White House. Earlier this week, Trump asserted that tech giants should bear the costs associated with data center electricity, a sentiment that DeSantis praised.

“We’ve been beating this drum for months: no passing on electricity costs to consumers for AI data centers,” the governor noted on X.

In contrast to DeSantis’s cautious approach, many states are eager to attract investment in data center projects. For instance, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has welcomed at least $50 billion in planned investments in data centers since November, promoting the state as a business-friendly environment.

According to a Bloomberg analysis, data centers in Texas currently consume enough electricity to power 3.3 million homes, with future plans set to increase their energy needs tenfold. In comparison, Florida’s data centers use enough energy to power 100,000 homes.

“I’d hate to see what happens after a big hurricane when you try to get the power turned on,” DeSantis reiterated at the insurance event. “Imagine if you want to have the power turned back on in Fort Lauderdale, and the data center comes first.”

As he navigates his political future with about a year left in office, DeSantis’s skepticism towards AI appears to resonate across party lines in the U.S. Notably, at least $98 billion in data center projects faced delays or were blocked due to local opposition in the second quarter of 2025, according to Data Center Watch, an advocacy group monitoring such developments.

AI in Insurance: Florida House Panel Passes Bill Requiring Human Touch on Claims Denials

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
InsurTech
Data Driven
Legislation
Artificial Intelligence