WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An Artificial Intelligence bill is getting its first hearing during Florida's legislative session following a series of WPTV reports that highlighted the dangers of unregulated AI use.
A priority of DeSantis, the legislation would create a sweeping Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights in Florida, setting new rules for how AI can be used by governments and private companies.
WATCH WPTV'S COVERAGE BELOW:
It would block state and local governments from contracting with AI companies tied to certain foreign countries, require AI systems and bots to clearly disclose when users are interacting with artificial intelligence, and restrict AI companies from selling or sharing personal data unless it is properly de-identified.
The bill also adds strong protections for minors by requiring parental consent and oversight for “companion chatbot” accounts, and limits AI-generated misuse of a person’s name, image, or likeness without consent.
It also gives the state attorney general enforcement power and allows lawsuits and penalties for violations.
Local police investigations show need for AI regulation
The proposed legislation comes as West Palm Beach police are investigating a troubling trend of artificial intelligence being used to create fake, fear-inducing videos using real people's faces without their permission. Despite multiple investigations, officers so far haven't charged the person they say is responsible, and experts say current laws don't allow them to file criminal charges for the AI content itself.
The investigations center around a 22-year-old content creator who was arrested Nov. 30 on charges of resisting an officer, but police say he had been on their radar for three separate incidents involving what detectives believe is his use of AI to create hyper-realistic fake videos.
Body camera footage shows the arrest of the content creator in West Palm Beach. Officers jailed him for resisting an officer, but police said the AI investigations were the real concern.
First incident targets truck owner
Melanie Valentine was the first to file a report against the content creator. She said on October 17th, he showed her a video of her truck being stolen from a Home Depot on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and tried to get her to get in the car with him to 'catch the guy.' The video turned out to be fake.
"It was really scary thinking about it after the fact," Valentine said. "You know, you start to think about all of the things that could have possibly happened."
Second incident involves married couple
In the second incident, the content creator admitted on body camera footage to using another Home Depot customer's likeness to create an AI image of him kissing another woman, then showed it to the man's wife.
"Very unsettling, yeah," the couple, who didn't want to be identified, told WPTV's Kate Hussey.
"I just made a banger with this one, boss. My last one on TikTok hit, like, a mil," the man told police in bodycam footage on Nov. 18.
Third incident at gas station
The third incident occurred the night of his arrest, when police say he startled a gas station clerk by showing an AI video of a body being dragged away.
"I just showed him an AI video of a body being dragged away," the content creator said on body camera footage.
Though police issued a public warning about the incidents, they couldn't arrest him for the AI content itself.
"Right now, if you're in public view, there is no expectation of privacy. That is a very scary scenario," said legal expert Kaplan.
Experts warn laws lag behind technology
Legal experts warn that current laws are falling behind rapidly advancing AI technology.
"The thing is, AI tools are getting better," said Dr. Karni Chagal-Feferkorn, an AI attorney and professor at the University of South Florida.
"If AI is manipulated — and falls into the wrong hands — it can have a very, very troubling and damaging effect on our way of life," Kaplan added.
Online viewers of WPTV's reporting have tagged DeSantis, demanding legislative action.
"It seems like there should be some consequences," the affected couple said.
When asked if there should be stronger laws surrounding the use of AI, Kaplan responded: "1,000%," noting that legislators are "obviously very behind" on addressing the issue.
"Obviously we're in the infancy of this, who knows how to navigate it properly, I don't think anyone really knows yet, but just creating awareness and possibly new legislation," agreed Valentine.
The content creator has not been charged in connection with the AI videos and is not being named by WPTV for that reason.
The proposed Florida AI Bill of Rights would directly address the type of misuse documented in the West Palm Beach police investigations by limiting AI-generated misuse of a person's name, image, or likeness without consent.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.