Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leans into AI skepticism, seeking a contrast with Vance

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t sold on the massive expansion of AI.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t sold on the massive expansion of AI.

And that belief might be his way back to national political relevance.

The Republican governor is appealing to a growing number of people who have concerns that AI’s rapid build-up, fueled in part by taxpayer dollars, could displace jobs, increase energy costs and hurt the environment. DeSantis’ positions stand in direct contrast to the embrace of the AI industry by President Donald Trump and the two likeliest potential candidates to snag his 2028 presidential endorsement: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We don’t want to see them building a massive data center and then sending you the bill,” DeSantis said this month when asked about AI companies. “Data centers take up the power equivalent of a half a million-person city. We feel very, very strongly about protecting the consumer.”

For DeSantis, the embrace of AI skepticism is rooted in both personal policy preference and a 2028-focused political calculation as the term-limited governor plots out his political future, according to eight sources, most of whom have either worked in his administration or for his past campaigns at both the state and national levels. Many of them requested anonymity to speak candidly.