Microsoft President Argues AI Less Regulated Than Washing Machines

Microsoft President Brad Smith argued that artificial intelligence currently faces less regulatory oversight than everyday items like washing machines and cartons of milk. Speaking in a BBC interview, Smith described AI as both a "tool and a weapon" and emphasized the urgent need for global safety rules.

According to reports from the Times of India, Quartz, and Techmeme, Smith proposed several specific requirements for companies developing AI systems. These include mandatory incident reporting, the use of independent evaluators to vet new systems before release, and the implementation of "emergency brakes" or "kill switches" to pause or slow down technology if it behaves unexpectedly.

Techmeme and Guardian Technology further noted that Smith advocated for a legal obligation to inform victims if a system is breached by a rogue AI agent.

Smith’s call for government-set legal requirements contrasts with the position of US President Donald Trump, who has pushed for industry self-regulation to prevent American companies from losing ground to Chinese rivals, according to the Times of India and Techmeme.

Brief written by urgent.news from PYMNTS, Times of India, Quartz, Techmeme, Guardian Technology — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.