Microsoft's Brad Smith says a washing machine faces more safety rules than AI, and calls for outside testers before release

Microsoft president Brad Smith told the BBC's Big Boss podcast that AI faces lighter rules than ordinary consumer goods, PC Gamer reported on 12 October. It quotes him: “Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety rules than AI,” and “Every carton of milk that you see in the grocery store is subject to safety rules and inspection.”

According to PC Gamer, Smith called for AI products to be tested by “outside evaluators” before release, for a “safety brake” for autonomous systems, and for a legal obligation to notify victims if their systems have been compromised by rogue AI agents.

He said Microsoft would be “happy to sign” the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, calling it “a good step”. PC Gamer's list of signers names Nvidia, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and SpaceX, not Microsoft. Smith also pointed to the limit of a voluntary pact: “The good companies will do what you want. It's the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about.”

It is the second time in two days that a Microsoft leader has argued for duties beyond the labs' own promises: chief executive Satya Nadella wrote on 11 October that companies should treat frontier models as insider risks, which the Switchboard ran. The BBC original could not be opened here, so the quotes are as PC Gamer reports them.

• Reported Smith said a washing machine and a carton of milk face more safety rules and inspection than AI. PC Gamer, via Yahoo
• Reported He called for “outside evaluators” before release, a “safety brake” for autonomous systems and a legal duty to notify victims of rogue AI agents. PC Gamer, via Yahoo
• Claimed Smith said Microsoft would be “happy to sign” the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, which he called “a good step”. PC Gamer, via Yahoo