The Miami Herald published an article on September 2 that presented Erika Donalds' statements on artificial intelligence in education in a selective manner.

Donalds, wife of Florida congressman and Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, spoke at an Axios Miami event on Wednesday where she highlighted AI's potential to assist students lacking access to qualified teachers while stressing the need for appropriate safeguards. The event also featured other notable panelists, including former Florida Governor and Republican Presidential Nominee Jeb Bush, who expressed optimism about AI's classroom applications when used thoughtfully.

Donalds stated that AI could serve as a helpful learning tool to some students but emphasized that it would never replace human teachers. Donalds also called for appropriate guardrails focused on protecting children from harm rather than overriding parental choices, and she warned that government overzealousness was not the path forward. She argued it could stifle beneficial uses of the technology. “Guardrails are incredibly important in this space,” Donalds said in her remarks. “The state has a responsibility to protect children from harm.”

The Miami Herald's reporting framed her position around limited rulemaking and benefits for Florida students. However, it significantly downplayed her explicit call for protections as well as her repeated affirmations that AI should assist, not supplant, real educators. The media outlet received backlash across social media almost immediately.

Donalds has often been described as a "champion" for educational freedom. She has a long history of advocating for parental rights, school choice and technology integration in education through her work with charter schools and policy initiatives across the state of Florida. In September of last year, Donalds was invited to attend the White House Task Force for Artificial Intelligence in Education. Past statements from Donalds show she consistently promoted the safe integration of AI to assist teachers and aid schools in addressing educator shortages and burnout while not downplaying the real risks.

"Students deserve protection AND innovation!" Donalds wrote in a X post in December of last year. She further celebrated schools that had established protections for "responsible AI use" that would protect student data, adopt strong filters and guardrails, and ensure full transparency with parents.

Critics of the mainstream media's coverage noted that outlets like the Miami Herald often emphasize potential downsides or fail to provide context when reporting on remarks or initiatives put forward by conservative figures.

Within hours of publication, the Miami Herald updated their article to more accurately reflect Donalds' statements.