A.G. Gancarski
The Department of Commerce will not be conducting a statewide study on how Artificial Intelligence and automation impact the future of employment in the state after all.
HB 827 would have compelled the Department’s Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic
Research to “study the economic impact of automation, artificial intelligence & robotics” on Florida’s job market, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said there was no point.
“Recognizing that AI trends are ever-evolving in delivery, skill development, and in-demand career tracks, it makes no sense to wait for a report to be published by the state’s labor statistics bureau. Indeed, such a report, to the extent it has value, would likely be obsolete by the time it was published,” DeSantis wrote in his veto letter Friday.
The report was slated to be published by December 1, 2025. It was to consider what industries were expected to be most affected in the next decade, regions and demographics most at risk, impact on wages and economic benefits, workforce training programs for those who lost their jobs, and the rate of “job loss or displacement.”
Rep. Leonard Spencer, who introduced the bill, framed it as a way to prepare for the future.
“Are we training our young people for the jobs of the future? Are we supporting businesses as they adapt? Are we making sure workers aren’t left behind? These are the questions we need to answer. We have a choice: we can either let change happen to us, or we can take control of our future. This bill is about making sure Florida is ready to lead in an economy driven by innovation, not just react to it.”
