---
title: "Microsoft’s Brad Smith says the UK is best placed to lead global AI safety rules"
url: https://anawords.com/story/brad-smith-microsoft-uk-lead-ai-safety-rules
published: 2026-10-13T11:02:02+05:30
updated: 2026-10-13T11:02:02+05:30
section: Policy & Regulation
author: Mayank Sahu
checked: sources checked by AI, approved by editor
version: 1
---

# Microsoft’s Brad Smith says the UK is best placed to lead global AI safety rules

Microsoft’s president called for breach notifications for rogue AI agents, outside testing before release and kill-switches. The UK says its AI Security Institute can still test the latest models.

**In short:** Microsoft president Brad Smith said in recent interviews that the UK, rather than the US or EU, is best placed to lead global AI safety rules. He backed legal duties to report rogue AI agents, outside testing before release, and an “emergency brake” for AI systems.

## What Smith said

Microsoft president Brad Smith said on a BBC podcast that the UK, rather than the US or the EU, is best placed to lead on global AI safety rules, TechCrunch reported on 12 October 2026.[^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.[^1]

In an ITV News interview published on 8 October, Smith said: “I think the time to act is now.”[^2] He added that AI is “less regulated than your washing machine, it is less regulated than a carton of milk”.[^2] He also said he does not believe AI is an existential threat today.[^2]

## The rules he proposed

Across the two interviews, Smith called for:[^1][^2]

- a legal duty to notify people or organisations when AI agents go rogue or systems are breached;
- independent safety testing before AI products are released;
- an “emergency brake” or kill-switch, so AI systems can be paused or taken offline if humans lose control.

ITV reports he also said developers should be legally liable if negligence leads to catastrophic harm.[^2]

## Why the UK

ITV reports Smith said the UK is respected in the US, China and Europe.[^2] TechCrunch notes the UK’s AI Security Institute gets access to major US models before release, and that the institute said on Monday it can still test the latest models, after Politico reported that the White House asked Anthropic and OpenAI to hold back new models from UK testers.[^1]

## Voluntary pledges

Smith called a recent White House pledge by tech leaders to work with independent auditors a “good step”, but said voluntary measures mostly bind responsible companies.[^1] “It’s the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about,” he said.[^1]

## What it means

These are proposals from one company’s president, not new law. The UK government has not announced matching legislation.

## Fact ledger

- [Reported] Brad Smith said the UK is best placed to lead global AI safety rules. (source 1,2)
- [Reported] He called for breach notices, outside testing before release and kill-switches. (source 1,2)
- [Reported] He said AI is less regulated than a washing machine or a carton of milk. (source 1,2)
- [Unconfirmed] The UK AI Security Institute said it can still test the latest models. (source 1)
- [Not known] Whether the UK will propose legislation along these lines.

## Sources

1. [TechCrunch: Microsoft president says UK is best placed to drive AI regulation](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/12/microsoft-president-says-uk-is-best-placed-to-drive-ai-regulation/)
2. [ITV News: Microsoft President: the AI risks are real and the time to act is now](https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-08/microsoft-president-the-ai-risks-are-real-and-the-time-to-act-is-now)