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Jeb Bush and Florida leaders debate AI growth and guardrails in Miami

September 2, 2026 at 09:02 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Sales & Business
Education

Axios Live convened former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, education advocate Erika Donalds, and Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo in Coral Gables on Wednesday to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping Florida’s economy and where to draw the line between rapid adoption and responsible deployment.

September 2, 2026 · Florida

Florida’s AI economy hits a fork

Leaders in Miami are weighing a projected $81 billion to $121 billion AI lift by 2035 against fights over data centers, classrooms, and who writes the rules.

AI-skill jobs vs the overall market

Jobs requiring AI skills are growing nearly 8× faster than the overall labor market.

1×

Overall jobs

8×

AI-skill jobs

The labor-market signal Florida educators are using to argue classrooms must catch up.

$81B–$121B

Projected AI add to Florida GDP by 2035

58%

Small businesses already using AI

89%

Of those firms reporting higher revenue

266%

Surge in South Florida AI job postings

The growth case

Adoption is already paying off for many firms. Small businesses report revenue gains, cities have cut permit reviews from about 30 days to under two hours, and universities are spreading AI coursework beyond computer science.

The pushback

Communities and students are not sold. Data-center plans have drawn protests, early-career work in exposed jobs is under pressure, and a child-safety bill stalled after passing the Senate.

Policy fork

One law is on the books. The broader rights bill is not.

Florida signed SB 484 so large-load sites pay their own power costs. The AI Bill of Rights covering chatbots, parents, and likeness protections passed the Senate 35-2 and died in the House.

SIGNED

SB 484 · May 7, 2026 · in effect July 1

STALLED

AI Bill of Rights · Senate yes, House no

NEXT TEST

College AI rules · Sept. 16 board vote

Where the fight now runs

Classrooms

Train students without unregulated companion bots

→

Small firms

Keep the revenue gains already showing up

→

Power & land

Decide how many hyperscale sites the grid can take

→

State rules

The next governor inherits the unfinished bill

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