Microsoft president Brad Smith calls for global AI safety rules and says the UK is best placed to lead

What Smith said

Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith said in a BBC interview that the “moment has arrived” for global AI safety rules, TechCrunch reported on 12 October 2026.¹ Fox News, with Reuters contributing, reported the same interview.²

“Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety rules than AI,” Smith said, according to Fox News.² He described AI as both a “weapon and a tool” that puts cybersecurity at risk.¹

Why the UK

Smith argued that the UK, rather than the US or the EU, is best placed to lead on global safety rules.¹ “In Washington, D.C., people don’t look at the U.K. and they don’t look at London the way they look at Brussels,” he said, calling this “a strength”.¹ He pointed to Britain’s AI Security Institute as a possible model for global oversight.²

What he proposed

Both reports say Smith supports independent evaluations of AI systems, a legal duty to tell organisations when rogue AI agents breach their systems, and an emergency brake or kill-switch to stop AI if humans lose control.¹² He also called for companies to document safety incidents.²

On voluntary commitments, he said the “good companies” will comply, adding: “It’s the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about.”¹

Context

TechCrunch reports that Smith called a recent White House safety document signed by tech leaders a “good step” that stops short of needed regulation.¹ TechCrunch also reports that the UK AI Security Institute confirmed on 12 October that it can access and test the latest models, citing Reuters.¹

What is not known

Smith’s comments are proposals. No government has said it will adopt them, and the reports do not say whether Microsoft will submit them formally.¹²