COUNTY IS PUSHING FOR NEW RULES ON HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS USED HERE IN FLORIDA. THE PROPOSAL COMES AS GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS WARNING ABOUT THE REAL WORLD RISKS OF AI, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS. WESH 2 SPENCER TRACY BREAKS DOWN WHAT’S IN THE BILL AND WHY IT’S GETTING ATTENTION NOW. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD SOON TRANSFORM HOLLYWOOD, AND THE HARM THIS SOFTWARE CAN CAUSE. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS EVERYWHERE. FROM CHATBOTS ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO ADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. EVEN TOOLS PEOPLE USE AT WORK AND AT HOME. NOW, STATE LEADERS SAY IT’S TIME TO SET SOME BOUNDARIES. WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT’S DEVELOPED IS ETHICAL, THAT IT REINFORCES OUR VALUES AS BOTH FLORIDIANS AND AMERICANS. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN’T BE TRYING TO GREENLIGHT ANYTHING THAT’S GOING TO DISPLACE HUMAN BEINGS. STATE SENATOR TOM LEAK HAS FILED A PROPOSAL HE CALLS AN AI BILL OF RIGHTS AIMED AT PROTECTING CONSUMERS, AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, FROM HARMFUL OR MISLEADING USES OF AI. AMONG THE BIGGEST CHANGES, AI CHATBOTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CLEARLY DISCLOSE THEY ARE NOT HUMANS AND PARENTS WOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL OF HOW AI INTERACTS WITH THEIR KIDS. IF THIS BILL PASSES, PARENTS WON’T BE IN THE DARK ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN’S AI USE. THEY’LL BE ABLE TO MONITOR IT, RESTRICT IT, OR EVEN SHUT IT DOWN ENTIRELY. IT WOULD ALSO GIVE FLORIDIANS THE RIGHT TO SUE IF AI USES THEIR NAME, IMAGE OR LIKENESS WITHOUT PERMISSION, INCLUDING IN POLITICAL ADS OR COMMERCIAL CONTENT. GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS RECENTLY WARNED ABOUT THE RISK OF RAPIDLY EXPANDING AI, INCLUDING THE MASSIVE DATA CENTERS NEEDED TO POWER IT. I DO THINK THAT THAT THAT THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND WHAT’S BEING PUSHED IS SOMETHING THAT THAT REQUIRES SOME THOUGHTFULNESS. AND WE GOT TO WE HAVE EVERY RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT AND DUTY TO CHANNEL THAT IN A WAY THAT IS GOING TO BENEFIT OUR PEOPLE AND NOT IN WAYS THAT ARE GOING

Central Florida senator proposes AI bill to protect kids and personal data

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Updated: 6:04 PM EST Jan 12, 2026

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Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of everyday life, from chatbots answering questions to ads on social media and tools used at work and home. Now, Florida leaders say it’s time to set boundaries.State Sen. Tom Leek, a Republican from Volusia County, filed a proposal he calls an AI Bill of Rights, aimed at protecting consumers, especially children, from harmful or misleading uses of AI. The measure, Senate Bill 482, would take effect July 1, 2026, if passed.Among the bill’s key provisions:AI chatbots would be required to clearly disclose they are not human.Parents would have increased control over how AI interacts with their children, including the ability to monitor, restrict, or disable their child’s AI accounts.Floridians would have the right to sue if AI uses their name, image, or likeness without permission, including in commercial or political content. Gov. Ron DeSantis has recently raised concerns about the risks of rapidly expanding AI, including the massive data centers required to power these platforms.“We do have a responsibility that this technology is ethical and reinforces our values as Floridians and Americans, and certainly we shouldn’t greenlight anything that is going to displace human beings,” DeSantis said. “I think that artificial intelligence and what’s being pushed requires some thoughtfulness, and we have every right and duty to channel that in a way that is going to benefit our people and not in ways that will be harmful.”Lawmakers convene Jan. 13 for the next regular, 60-day session. Leek said the bill will be part of early debates over how the state handles AI, privacy, and child safety.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of everyday life, from chatbots answering questions to ads on social media and tools used at work and home. Now, Florida leaders say it’s time to set boundaries.

State Sen. Tom Leek, a Republican from Volusia County, filed a proposal he calls an AI Bill of Rights, aimed at protecting consumers, especially children, from harmful or misleading uses of AI.

The measure, Senate Bill 482, would take effect July 1, 2026, if passed.

Among the bill’s key provisions:

AI chatbots would be required to clearly disclose they are not human.Parents would have increased control over how AI interacts with their children, including the ability to monitor, restrict, or disable their child’s AI accounts.Floridians would have the right to sue if AI uses their name, image, or likeness without permission, including in commercial or political content.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has recently raised concerns about the risks of rapidly expanding AI, including the massive data centers required to power these platforms.

“We do have a responsibility that this technology is ethical and reinforces our values as Floridians and Americans, and certainly we shouldn’t greenlight anything that is going to displace human beings,” DeSantis said. “I think that artificial intelligence and what’s being pushed requires some thoughtfulness, and we have every right and duty to channel that in a way that is going to benefit our people and not in ways that will be harmful.”

Lawmakers convene Jan. 13 for the next regular, 60-day session. Leek said the bill will be part of early debates over how the state handles AI, privacy, and child safety.