Microsoft president Brad Smith has called for global safety rules for artificial intelligence, arguing that everyday products are currently held to stricter standards than AI systems. In an interview with the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast, he said: "Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety rules than AI. Every carton of milk that you see in the grocery store is subject to safety rules and inspection." The comparison, also reported by Engadget after a separate ITV interview, quickly spread across tech media.
Smith said AI is both "a tool and a weapon" that urgently needs regulation, adding: "Let's get started today." His position puts him at odds with US President Donald Trump, who has argued the sector should regulate itself so American firms do not lose ground to Chinese rivals.
What Microsoft's Brad Smith wants regulated
Smith set out several concrete measures he believes should become law or global standards. They focus on what happens when AI systems misbehave, and on who checks them before release.
He also addressed self-regulation directly, saying that a voluntary regime works only for responsible companies. "The good companies will do what you want," he said, but "it's the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about."
His comments follow a White House meeting hosted by Trump at the end of last month, where the leaders of OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, SpaceX, Meta and Google signed a "morally binding" document. The companies agreed to work with "independent auditors" and to make sure their systems do not "hack or access technical systems in unintended ways." Smith said he applauds the statement and that Microsoft is "happy to sign it," but added: "I don't think it's sufficient any longer." Critics of the pact told the BBC it lets firms "define what counts as safety" and should be "ignored for the distraction it is."
- Emergency brakes, known in the industry as kill switches, to pause or slow down AI that gets out of control
