Not all GOP are gung-ho on AI: Florida’s DeSantis pushes insurance regulation, industry resists

Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for AI regulation in Florida despite insurance industry lobbyists arguing that existing state laws already adequately govern artificial intelligence use in their sector. The debate highlights a growing tension between proactive AI oversight and industry claims that current regulatory frameworks are sufficient to manage emerging technologies.

What you should know: Insurance industry representatives told a Florida House subcommittee that AI tools are already subject to the same legal standards as human decision-makers.

• “Any decision made or any action taken by an insurance company, be it by a person, a human, an AI platform, all of that is governed by Florida law,” said Paul Martin, vice president for state affairs at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, a trade group representing insurance companies.
• Insurance companies remain liable for errors made by AI systems just as they would for human mistakes, with existing claims laws applying regardless of whether decisions come from humans or machines.

DeSantis’s AI stance: The governor has consistently criticized artificial intelligence despite breaking ranks with President Donald Trump on regulatory approaches.

• DeSantis opposed a federal budget bill that would ban states from passing AI regulations for a decade, arguing it would leave states “at the beck and call of Silicon Valley tech overlords.”
• He’s predicted AI will eliminate white-collar jobs while dismissing the technology as a “regurgitation of bullsh—.”
• The governor has also criticized AI’s massive energy consumption, claiming taxpayers and utility customers are subsidizing the costs.

Industry perspective: Insurance lobbyists emphasized that AI is being used to enhance rather than replace human workers in processing claims and detecting fraud.

• TechNet’s Jarrett Catlin, representing a pro-AI lobby group, advocated for targeted regulation by the Office of Insurance Regulation rather than sweeping statutory changes.
• “Targeted is always better,” Catlin said, warning against “one-size-fits-all” AI packages that don’t account for industry-specific needs.

The bigger picture: Florida’s approach contrasts sharply with other states’ experiences with comprehensive AI regulation.

• Colorado passed the nation’s first comprehensive AI regulation package in 2024, but recent budget sessions became a “battleground” with “shouting matches throughout the Capitol halls.”
• Tech lobbyists successfully delayed Colorado’s law implementation until June 2026, demonstrating the ongoing political challenges surrounding AI governance.

Notable contradiction: DeSantis vetoed a 2025 bill that would have studied AI’s workforce impact, reasoning that the technology evolves too quickly for studies to remain relevant by completion.