Microsoft president Brad Smith says milk and washing machines face more safety rules than AI. Should AI firms face binding laws, or police themselves?

What happened

In a BBC Big Boss Interview published on 11 October, Microsoft president Brad Smith said milk and washing machines are subject to more safety rules than AI. He called for global rules including "emergency brakes" to pause AI that gets out of control, a legal duty to write incident reports and tell victims when an AI system goes rogue, and independent government evaluators to vet new AI. He said the UK, through its AI Security Institute, is best placed to lead. His view differs from President Trump's, who says the sector should regulate itself so US firms don't lose out to Chinese rivals.

Why people disagree

Supporters say AI is now powerful enough to cause real harm, other products are safety-checked before sale, and voluntary pledges only bind the responsible companies, as Smith put it. Opponents, including the Trump administration, argue that regulation could stifle innovation and hand the lead to China, and that the big firms have already agreed to independent audits under the voluntary White House accord signed in September.

What's still unclear

Whether the US, China and the EU could agree on shared rules, whether the UK would be accepted as the one to write them, and how "emergency brakes" or checks before release would work in practice.