Florida Attorney General talks DEI, artificial intelligence regulations at USF

USF hosted Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in the Patel College of Global Sustainability for a final Debate-A-Bull speaker event on Friday.

The Institute of Public Policy and Leadership hosts the Debate-A-Bull speaker series, which brings leaders to campus for monthly events that promote “academic inquiry and civic engagement,” according to USF.

At USF, Uthmeier called for nationwide artificial intelligence regulations while ramping up his criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion policies during a 90-minute chat moderated by university Trustee Charbel Barakat.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Uthmeier as the Florida Attorney General in February 2025, after serving as his Chief of Staff from October 2021 to August 2023.

As attorney general, Uthmeier is responsible for protecting residents from fraud and enforcing the state’s antitrust laws, including those against price gouging and monopolization, according to the Attorney General’s office.

Uthmeier also oversees the Office of Statewide Persecution, which prosecutes crimes like gang activity and drug trafficking, according to the Attorney General’s office.

Uthmeier is running to continue serving as Attorney General during Florida’s gubernatorial election on Nov. 3. He’ll face off against private-sector attorney Steven Leskovich in August’s Republican primary.

Related: USF’s Taryn Sabia throws hat in for 2027 Tampa mayoral race 

Artificial Intelligence

Uthmeier said he’s worried about the rapid advancement of AI in the U.S. military, adding that it’s the government’s responsibility to regulate corporations creating AI models.

“I have broad powers to protect consumers, litigate on behalf of the state, both in a civil and criminal context,” Uthmeier said. “We certainly will do that wherever it’s necessary to protect our people.”

The U.S. military used Claude, an AI model from the company Anthropic, in its operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro in January, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon labeled Anthropic a “national security risk” in March after its CEO raised concerns over the use of fully autonomous weapons, according to the Associated Press.

“[AI] does present some pretty serious questions that relate to the existence of mankind,” he said. “Technology and innovation is supposed to support and advance mankind, not hinder it.”

The Attorney General’s office also launched an investigation into OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, over safety and national security concerns on Thursday.

Uthmeier said in a video posted on X that he’s investigating ChatGPT’s assistance in last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University that left two dead and six injured.

The shooter, Phoenix Ikner, asked ChatGPT several prompts before the attack — including how to take the safety off his shotgun and what FSU’s most crowded building is, according to the Florida Phoenix.

Uthemier compared AI to “Frankenstein” and said AI companies should be held accountable for any harm their products cause.

“If you create a monster and let it go free and it takes lives, are you not someone responsible?” Uthemeier said.

Proposed state flag pledge

Uthemeier said he’s working to introduce a pledge to the state flag as his contribution to Florida’s America250 celebration, a bipartisan initiative for the U.S’s 250th anniversary this July.

He shared an initial draft of the pledge for the first time on Friday.

“I pledge to thee, oh state that’s free, under God for family, a tribute to our noble fight, oh flag adorned in red and white,” Uthmeier said.

Seventeen U.S. states have pledges to their state flags, according to the Portland Flag Association. Florida is the only one of the 11 states that seceded during the U.S. Civil War without a state flag pledge.

Related: USF St. Pete students continue push to reinstate multicultural flags

Diversity, equity and inclusion 

Uthmeier has criticized DEI policies during his time in office and announced a lawsuit against Starbucks in December over its implementation of “race-based quotas” in hiring.

He said his next target is the Rooney Rule, an NFL policy that rewards teams with draft picks for interviewing minority candidates for coaching and management roles.

The Rooney Rule was established in 2003, and requires NFL teams to interview at least two minority candidates for vacant head coach, general manager and coordinator positions.

Uthmeier sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on March 25 demanding that the league no longer enforce the Rooney Rule, calling it “blatant sex and race discrimination.”

Still, Goodell said at a news conference on March 31 that he has no plans to eliminate the Rooney Rule, according to AP.

Uthmeier said the NFL is “flagrantly” violating state laws, and therefore, it’s important that he is targeting the association.

“I think people should be hired and advanced based on their merit,” Uthmeier said on Friday. “The right person for the job is the right person that should be hired. The fans out there, they care more about the color of the jersey than they do the color of the skin of the coach.”