Microsoft President Brad Smith has called for urgent global regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that the technology faces fewer safety requirements than everyday products such as milk and washing machines.
In an interview with the BBC published on Monday, Smith said governments should establish common safety rules for AI systems, including requirements for companies to report incidents, notify victims when rogue AI agents breach their systems and provide an emergency shutdown mechanism.
Rogue AI agents are software systems that can independently carry out tasks, raising concerns about their ability to cause harm or behave in unintended ways.
“We know how to do this for other products, we should build on that knowledge and think about how to apply it to AI,” Smith said.
He argued that existing safety standards for ordinary consumer products offered a useful model for regulating AI, pointing out that washing machines and milk cartons are subject to safety rules and inspections.
“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,” he said.
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Smith’s comments come amid growing international debate over the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI systems, particularly agents capable of operating with limited human supervision.
Companies including Anthropic and OpenAI have begun disclosing instances of unwanted or rogue behaviour by AI agents as researchers and policymakers assess the potential dangers of increasingly capable systems.
Some technology companies have also called for a slowdown in AI development. However, such proposals have attracted criticism from those who suspect that calls for tighter controls could help established firms protect their market positions, limit competitors or head off wider government intervention.
Smith said the United Kingdom was well placed to take a leading role in developing AI safety regulations, citing its AI Security Institute, established under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The institute has secured voluntary agreements allowing it to assess major AI models before their public release, giving officials an opportunity to examine their capabilities and potential risks.
Smith also said officials in Washington viewed Britain differently from the European Union, which regulates AI according to risk levels under its AI Act.
Britain’s AI Minister, Kanishka Narayan, has told Reuters that the government would consider regulating advanced AI models if the existing voluntary approach proved inadequate.
Smith’s intervention adds to calls for independent assessments and enforceable safeguards as AI systems become more powerful and are deployed across businesses and public services.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
