Microsoft's Brad Smith calls for urgent AI regulation, says UK is best placed to lead
Smith says the world has reached a moment to set global safety rules for AI.
Policy#07
Policy
Image: TechCrunch
The short version
- Microsoft president Brad Smith calls for urgent AI regulation and says consumer products like milk and washing machines have more oversight than AI companies.
- On a recent BBC podcast, Smith called AI both a weapon and a tool that puts the world's cybersecurity at risk.
- Smith said the U.K., not the U.S. or European Union, is best placed to lead on global safety rules.
- He said voluntary commitments are not enough, because only the good companies will comply.
Why it matters
Smith outlined rules he wants, including a legal duty to alert an organization if its system was breached by rogue AI agents. He also backed outside evaluators approving AI products before release and spoke positively about kill switches. For developers, the debate points toward possible new legal obligations on how AI systems are tested and paused.
“It’s the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about,”