{
  "id": 13962182,
  "title": "Microsoft President Argues AI Less Regulated Than Washing Machines",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/microsoft-president-argues-ai-less-regulated-than-washing-machines",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-12T13:07:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PYMNTS",
    "slug": "pymnts",
    "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/microsoft-president-argues-ai-less-regulated-than-washing-machines/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "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.\n\nAccording 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.\n\nSmith’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.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "Microsoft President Brad Smith calls for global safety regulations for AI, arguing that milk and washing machines currently face more stringent safety standards (Mitchell Labiak/BBC)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/microsoft-president-brad-smith-calls-for-global-safety-regulations",
        "published": "2026-10-12T10:50:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}