Microsoft president Brad Smith warns AI safety rules lag behind milk regulations

In a BBC interview, Microsoft president Brad Smith said AI needs urgent global safety standards, noting it faces fewer rules than everyday products like milk.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:54:49 GMT

Microsoft president and vice‑chairman Brad Smith told the BBC that artificial intelligence currently operates under fewer safety requirements than milk and washing machines, and urged the creation of global rules to protect users.

What happened

In a BBC interview released on Monday, Smith outlined a set of measures he believes should be mandatory for AI systems. He said a “victim” must be informed if a system is breached by a rogue AI agent and that companies should be required to produce incident reports. Smith also called for an “emergency brake” – a legal requirement for a kill‑switch that can pause or stop AI that behaves dangerously.

What the reports add

TechCentral highlighted Smith’s comparison of AI safety to the inspection regimes that apply to milk cartons and washing machines, noting that those products are subject to established safety rules that AI lacks.
The Guardian reported that Smith described AI as both “a tool and a weapon” and stressed the urgency of regulation.
Both outlets mentioned that other tech firms – Anthropic, Google DeepMind and OpenAI – have warned about the rapid pace of AI development.
The Guardian added that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, in a separate statement on Saturday, called for “emergency brakes” on AI models, saying super‑intelligence must be built as a contained system that can always be observed and stopped.
TechCentral noted Smith’s view that Britain is the best‑placed country to lead global AI regulation because of the AI Security Institute created under former prime minister Rishi Sunak, which receives pre‑deployment access to major models under voluntary agreements.

What was said

“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,” Smith told the BBC.

“We know how to do this for other products. We should build on that knowledge and think about how to apply it to AI,” he added.

Smith also said AI could be both “a tool and a weapon” that needs urgent regulation.

How it came about

Smith’s remarks follow Microsoft’s release of an internal AI conduct code on 14 September, which stresses human oversight, mandatory shutdown capabilities and treats policy breaches as total failures (see Felo News coverage Microsoft Releases AI Conduct Code Emphasizing Human Oversight). The call for broader regulation aligns with mounting industry and governmental pressure, including Australia’s push for new online safety and AI standards announced in late September and Britain’s AI minister Kanishka Narayan preparing to ask frontier‑AI developers to strengthen safeguards.

Key facts

Brad Smith said AI faces fewer safety rules than milk and washing machines. (techcentral.co.za)
Smith called for legal obligations to inform victims of AI breaches. (theguardian.com)
He advocated for an "emergency brake" or kill‑switch for AI systems. (theguardian.com)
Smith urged companies to produce incident reports for AI incidents. (techcentral.co.za)