{
  "id": 14020490,
  "title": "When AI is subject to less regulation than your fridge, something is startlingly wrong | Richard Hermer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/when-ai-is-subject-to-less-regulation-than-your-fridge-something-is",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-12T17:33:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/12/ai-regulation-fridge-risk-humanity-public-debate-international-law"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Richard Hermer, a former attorney general, emphasizes the unprecedented risk AI poses to humanity, stating that without immediate public debate and robust use of international law, control over the future will be lost. Over his two-year tenure, Hermer devoted more time to national security issues than any other topic, encompassing terrorism, armed conflicts, nuclear proliferation, financial insecurity, and the climate crisis. However, he asserts that the risk from AI is of a completely different magnitude, both in scale and urgency. In an era where the lights are flashing red and action is imperative, AI has taken an existential risk to humanity. Although the dangers of AI have been acknowledged by experts involved in its development, it was only recently, following the Hugging Face hack and Jacob Coxon's resignation from Anthropic, that the issue gained traction in public discourse. This moment presents an opportunity to capitalize on increased urgency in international coordination to regulate frontier AI. However, meaningful public engagement must also be prioritized to shape AI to benefit humanity rather than consolidate power among a select few. Hermer concludes that leaving this decision solely to China, the US, and big tech is unacceptable; everyone must demand a voice in the debate.",
  "summary": "Let’s be clear: the risk to humanity is unprecedented. Without an urgent public debate and robust use of international law, we will lose control of the future In my two years as attorney general, I spent more time working on national security than any other issue. The range and gravity of the threats posed to our nation are multifold, from terrorism, armed conflicts and nuclear proliferation, to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}