The Tech revolution is here. Today, Artificial Intelligence is supercharging human capabilities, autonomous vehicles have redefined transportation, and lightning-fast internet allows Americans to connect with friends and family anywhere on planet Earth. Yet, as innovations change lives, they also cause a tidal wave of policy questions that lawmakers at every level must face.
In an interconnected world where nanoseconds matter, we need stakeholders, business leaders, experts, and policymakers to ensure states take the right approach to increasingly complex questions. The wrong approach risks stifling innovation, hurting consumers, and undercutting America’s global competitiveness.
Join The James Madison Institute on June 25 & 26 for our 2025 Tech and Innovation Summit, where we will explore these and more.
Don’t just witness the tech revolution – be part of steering it.
June 25
Evening- Opening Reception
Small Dinners
June 26
8am-3:30pm: Tech Summit Panels and Discussions
Evening- Sponsor thank you event
Tickets are now available! Secure your seat today!
Agenda At-A-Glance
2025 Florida Tech and Innovation Summit Panels
Join us for a discussion with education technology leaders who have 25 years of experience pioneering online learning and navigating policy debates around K-12 innovation. Our panelists will explore how today’s AI and technology debates echo earlier policy battles, examining the tension between government-led versus market-driven approaches to education technology. We’ll investigate how political dynamics and special interests shape policy decisions affecting millions of students, addressing critical questions about maintaining educational integrity while embracing technological advancement. The conversation will focus on how public-private partnerships can foster innovation without compromising learning outcomes. This timely discussion offers valuable perspectives for educators, policymakers, and technology leaders navigating the complex intersection of politics, policy, and educational technology.
Reliable high-speed internet access has become fundamental to state economic growth, innovation, and community development. Despite its importance, regulatory hurdles and policy fragmentation across many states continue to widen the digital divide. This expert panel will examine evidence-based approaches for crafting effective broadband policies that streamline deployment processes, reduce implementation barriers, and empower service providers to expand connectivity to underserved populations. Join us for a dynamic discussion on balancing regulatory oversight with the urgent need to connect all communities to the digital economy.
From Sandboxes to Sunset Reviews: Building a Pro-Innovation Regulatory Framework
While Washington stalls and the Trump administration pushes new regulations, states are becoming the real tech policy pioneers. This creates a prime opportunity for Florida to distinguish itself through smart governance. By adopting regulatory sandboxes, challenge-based procurement, and strategic sunset reviews, Florida can attract cutting-edge companies and talent while fostering innovation. Join our experts to discover how Florida can learn from successful state initiatives and position itself at the forefront of interstate competition for tech leadership.
With quality information more important than ever in our political climate, this panel will explore legal and market responses to AI generated deepfakes and misinformation. We show how laws already on the books address many concerns about deepfakes, and how the market is creating increasingly more effective tools to deal with misinformation, like decentralized content moderation.
Join the Libertas Institute and the Mercatus Center for a thought-provoking discussion on the evolving landscape of employment and the critical role of portable benefits in today’s dynamic economy. As the workforce increasingly embraces independent contracting, gig platforms, and flexible employment arrangements, we face an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine how workers access essential benefits without being tethered to traditional employment models. Our expert panel will explore innovative legislative frameworks that support worker mobility while ensuring access to healthcare, retirement, and other critical benefits. Through economic research and case studies of successful state-level initiatives, discover how states can serve as laboratories of innovation, creating benefit systems that match the flexibility and adaptability of modern work while providing the security workers need to thrive in an evolving economy. Learn about practical pathways for policymakers to implement solutions that balance worker protection with economic dynamism in this increasingly mobile workforce.
Artificial Intelligence is advancing faster than most state legislatures can keep up—leaving the door open for misguided or reactionary policies that could stifle innovation, harm local economies, and undermine civil liberties. This panel brings together national AI experts, state policy leaders, and legal scholars to explore how states can lead with clarity, caution, and courage. We’ll unpack the challenges of regulating AI at the state level, highlight real-world examples of harmful or hasty AI bills, and offer a roadmap for smarter governance that embraces innovation while protecting fundamental rights. Join us as we explore how Florida—and other forward-thinking states—can shape the AI future rather than be shaped by it.
Location:
Loews Coral Gables Hotel
2950 Coconut Grove Dr.
Coral Gables, FL 33134
If you are joining us in Coral Gables, we have a room block available at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel. Click here to reserve your room.
Would you like to become a sponsor of the 2025 Florida Tech & Innovation Summit?
Join us in Coral Gables this summer as a sponsor of the 2025 Florida Tech & Innovation Summit. For more information or if you’re interested in sponsoring, contact Brian Hickey at bhickey@jamesmadison.org.
