AI news · Policy · safety
Microsoft’s Brad Smith says AI is less regulated than milk
Microsoft’s president wants global safety rules for AI, kill switches and a legal duty to tell victims when an agent breaks loose.
Microsoft president Brad Smith says a washing machine faces more safety rules than artificial intelligence. He made the case for global AI safety rules on the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast, reported on Monday 12 October 2026.
His list is specific. Companies should have “emergency brakes”, often called kill switches, to pause an AI system that gets out of control. They should file incident reports and be legally bound to tell victims when a rogue AI agent breaches their systems. And independent government evaluators should check new AI products before release.
That puts Microsoft at odds with President Trump, who wants the industry to regulate itself, the BBC notes. Smith said Microsoft is happy to sign the voluntary pledge AI leaders signed at the White House last month, but called it no longer sufficient.
He named the UK as best placed to lead, thanks to its AI Security Institute, the government body that checks new models before release. Last month Trump reportedly asked Anthropic and OpenAI to keep new models from British testers. On Monday the institute said it is able to access and check the latest models, TechCrunch reports.
When one of the largest AI sellers asks for binding rules, a legal duty to report AI agent incidents now has Microsoft behind it.
Sources
- BBC News: Microsoft boss: ‘If a company builds AI agents and they break loose, there should be a legal obligation to tell the victim’. Checked
- The Guardian: AI less regulated than milk, Microsoft president says in warning over safety. Checked
- TechCrunch: Microsoft president says UK is best placed to drive AI regulation. Checked
Alexandre S.
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