On Thursday, June 26, 2025, thought leaders from across the country joined The James Madison Institute in Coral Gables to discuss emerging and persistent tech policy issues at the sixth annual Florida Tech and Innovation Summit. Artificial Intelligence (AI) took the spotlight at this year’s Tech Summit, as our nation’s leaders grappled with AI’s growing global influence and how we coexist with this transformative technology.
Speakers from private and public sectors gathered for a full day of panels, beginning with Whitney MacKay, Bureau Chief Prosecutor with the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit of the Office of the Florida Attorney General. She led a discussion on steps her office is taking to fight against cyber fraud, emphasizing that it is “equal parts enforcement and prevention” in helping Floridians protect and prevail.
The morning continued with a dynamic panel featuring Kathleen Slattery Thompson of USTelecom, Tim Lee of the Center for Individual Freedom, Deb Collier of Citizens Against Government Waste, and Rick Cimerman of NCTA. Bartlett Cleland of the Innovation Economy Alliance moderated the discussion on broadband deployment across the country, highlighting challenges to streamlining the process and how states can maximize Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding in underserved communities.“Rural America is hurting, they need access and the sooner we can get it to them, the better,” said Collier.
Neil Chilson, Ryan Nabil, and Jake Morabito led a conversation on how Florida and other states can attract cutting-edge talent while fostering an environment of innovation. “States are really on the front lines of implementation,” said Chilson, and Florida is no different. As Miami rises as a tech hub, panelists explored how the Florida Legislature can encourage risk-free innovation through regulatory sandboxes, challenge-based procurement, and more.
Representative John Snyder, Chairman of the IT Budget and Policy Subcommittee, then took the stage to share how the legislature is tackling major tech issues, like how to approach the influence of AI without letting hot-button topics drive short-sighted policies.
Free speech on the internet powered a series of great discussions. David McGarry with the Taxpayer Protection Alliance warned of the dangers of compromising on First Amendment principles online. Spence Purnell, Richard Sill, and Vance Ginn addressed the potentially disastrous approaches to content moderation. “We’ve got policy responses for some concerns for misinformation and speech, but we have market solutions for these spaces,” said Purnell, emphasizing the value of market-driven approaches over government intervention.
Then, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) helped lead a talk with former Congressman Justin Amash, who discussed how he utilized social media as a tool for information and transparency. Amash emphasized that “freedom requires risk”, stating that “you can’t have a free society where everyone is safe from everything.”
The conversation on AI continued with Bryan Flood from Stride and JMI’s William Mattox examining the role of AI in education. “I don’t think we can trust the American education system to fix itself,” said Flood, highlighting the tension between how traditional schools and private education entrepreneurs adapt to technological change.
JMI’s Turner Loesel moderated a panel with Liya Palagashvili, Caden Rosenbaum, and Bryan Giaimo on portable benefits and reimagining how flexible workers access essential benefits. Palagashvili outlined how states can remove barriers so free-market solutions can better reach independent contractors.
The day began to come to a close with Natalie Bosse discussing how the United States can lead in the global AI race, emphasizing the importance of innovation both in defense and commerce. One final panel followed, featuring Neil Chilson, Bryce Chinault, Caden Rosenbaum, and Naomi Lopez, who discussed how misguided, reactionary policies can hurt innovation and undermine civil liberties.
Overall, the 2025 Florida Tech and Innovation Summit showed the future of tech policy is in capable hands. Industry experts, policymakers, and innovators are working together, here in the Sunshine State and across the nation, to ensure policy supports consumers and creators without stifling necessary growth.
