Congressman Byron Donalds at an event April 8, 2025, celebrating heroic veterans across a Southwest Florida community. He is running for Florida governor in 2026.
Published on July 20, 2026 at 9:48 am
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The internet and cellphones changed the world. But experts say artificial intelligence technology is advancing and catching on much more quickly.
It’s also reshaping politics, including in Florida this election cycle.
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“Just the suddenness with which this came on the scene and transformed everything, I think, is really unmatched,” said Sarah Kreps, a Cornell University professor and the director of its Tech Policy Institute. “And so, anywhere where there’s such dominance of anything, you’re going to see politics and money follow.”
Look no further than the Florida governor’s race.
A pro-AI super PAC has pledged $5 million to support U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican frontrunner endorsed by President Donald Trump.
And AI and the data centers that power it have become a hot topic on the campaign trail.
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A couple of Republican candidates are accusing Donalds of showing too much support for the centers, which use a lot of water and electricity.
Donalds has recently gone out of his way to talk about data center concerns — like in a recent advertisement.
“In my Florida, if you don’t protect our pocketbooks or our people, you won’t build data centers, period,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Donalds’ campaign shared a link to the video.
ALSO READ: Here’s how artificial intelligence is shaping this election season
Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor, said AI money, AI debates and AI use will be the new normal in state elections.
“There’s almost no aspect of politics that I can think of that is not going to be impacted or affected by AI — and already is being impacted and affected by AI,” Jewett said.
Jewett also said voters will need to be more skeptical of political messages as AI use becomes more common in campaigns.
Florida has passed some AI-related laws in recent years.
Legislation passed in 2024 requires disclaimers on political advertisements that use AI to deceptively depict candidates in a negative light or mislead voters about ballot questions.
A 2026 measure is aimed at ensuring residents don’t pay more for utilities because of the centers.
Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC that pledged $5 million to support Donalds, gave $3 million to American Mission Florida on March 4, about a month following NBC News reporting about the commitment.
American Mission Florida was formed in February and is chaired by Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst. Its listed address is a Tallahassee Staples store, as pointed out by Suncoast Searchlight.
ALSO READ: Sarasota’s property appraiser is moving millions from AI moguls to support Byron Donalds
Soon after Leading the Future made the contribution, a chunk of money was used for pro-Donalds advertisements in television markets across the state, as shown by Federal Communications Commission records pulled by WUSF.
One example: Around $63,000 went to Tampa’s WFLA-TV for 15-second ads from early March to early April. A similar amount was paid to air 30-second ads over the same time period.
Leading the Future didn’t respond to an email about what’s happening with the remaining pledged money.
And another thing to watch: Pro-AI regulation groups are getting involved this election cycle, increasing the amount of ads Floridians might see.
f you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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