Microsoft president calls for global safety rules to regulate artificial intelligence

Microsoft president Brad Smith has called for global safety rules to regulate artificial intelligence, BBC News reported. Smith stated that products such as milk and washing machines are currently subject to more safety rules and inspections than artificial intelligence technologies. [1]

According to BBC News, Smith proposed a legal obligation requiring companies to inform victims if a rogue artificial intelligence agent breaches their systems. He also called for clear decisions on when outside evaluators must sign off on an artificial intelligence product before its public release. Smith added that the United Kingdom is in the best position to lead the effort for global rules. [1]

The comments put Smith at odds with United States President Donald Trump, BBC News reported. Trump has stated that the artificial intelligence sector should regulate itself to prevent American firms from losing ground to competitors in China. [1]

Microsoft achieved dominance in personal computing through its Windows operating system, which captured over 90 percent of the Intel-compatible market by the late 1990s. The company later expanded its business into enterprise software under chief executive officers including Steve Ballmer and Satya Nadella. [3]