Microsoft President Says AI Is Less Regulated Than Milk and Washing Machines

Microsoft President Brad Smith has called for urgent global AI safety rules, saying milk and washing machines are currently subject to more regulation than artificial intelligence.

Speaking on the BBC’s Big Boss interview, Smith said AI was “both a tool and a weapon” and needed to be regulated urgently.

“Start today,” he said.

Brad Smith Calls for Global AI Safety Regulations

Smith said new global rules should include legal obligations for companies to notify “victims” when AI systems are compromised by rogue AI agents.

He also called for external evaluators to assess and approve some AI products before they are released. Companies should be legally required to create incident reports and notify people if their technology goes rogue, he said.

“We know how to do this with other products,” Smith said. “We need to take that knowledge and think about how to apply it to AI.”

Smith also said AI companies should have an “emergency brake”, commonly known in the industry as a “kill switch”, allowing them to pause or slow down systems if they become difficult to control.

“Washing Machines Are More Regulated Than AI”

Smith used everyday products to highlight what he described as a gap in AI regulation.

“Washing machines are currently subject to more safety regulations than AI,” he said. “Every carton of milk you see in a grocery store is subject to safety regulations and inspections.”

Calls for laws governing artificial intelligence have grown after experts in the field said they believe the technology could pose a threat to humanity.

Microsoft Executive at Odds With Donald Trump

Smith’s comments put him at odds with President Donald Trump, who has said the AI sector should self-regulate to prevent US companies from losing ground to Chinese rivals.

Executives at US-based AI companies including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind support the idea of slowing AI development, while President Trump opposes it.

Smith Says the UK Could Lead Global AI Rules

Smith said the UK was best placed to help establish global rules for artificial intelligence. He pointed to the AI Security Research Institute, which was launched as the AI Safety Institute during former chancellor Rishi Sunak’s government.

“Most people I know in the technology world, in the technology field, if you ask them to name the country that is the leader in this technological capacity, they’ll say it’s a no-brainer. It’s the UK. They’re the best.”