Microsoft President Brad Smith Urges Global AI Safety Rules, Says UK Is Best Placed to Lead
aiinsider ·
Microsoft President Brad Smith has called for urgent global regulation of artificial intelligence, arguing that current oversight is insufficient compared to everyday consumer products. Speaking on a BBC podcast, he described AI as both a weapon and a tool that poses significant risks to global cybersecurity. Smith identified the United Kingdom as the ideal leader for establishing these safety rules, citing favorable diplomatic relations with Washington compared to Brussels. He highlighted the UK's AI Security Institute, which receives pre-deployment access to models from major U.S. labs, as a key advantage. While acknowledging recent voluntary safety pledges from White House-signed firms, Smith insisted they are inadequate because they only bind responsible companies. He advocated for mandatory legal duties to report breaches, external approval before product releases, and kill switches to pause systems if humans lose control. His remarks align with similar calls from industry leaders like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman to slow down rapid AI development.
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