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Microsoft President Brad Smith said on a BBC podcast that AI companies face less oversight than everyday products like milk or washing machines, and called for urgent global safety regulation. He argued the UK, through its AI Security Institute, is better positioned than the US or EU to lead that effort, even as the Trump administration has reportedly pressured Anthropic and OpenAI to limit British access to new models.
During San Francisco's Tech Week, AI founders and venture capitalists discussed the Trump administration's largely voluntary approach to AI oversight, including a 308-word safety pact signed last month that asks labs to self-monitor rather than follow binding rules. At an Andreessen Horowitz-organized event, PitchBook's Kyle Stanford highlighted that the U.S. government is allocating $1 trillion to defense, with $13.5 billion earmarked for autonomous systems and AI, framing it as a major investment opportunity.
Microsoft president Brad Smith told ITV that AI systems are subject to fewer safety rules than washing machines or milk cartons sold in stores. He made the remarks as major AI firms, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta and Nvidia, recently signed a self-regulation pact at a 'Super Intelligence' summit rather than accept government rules, an approach favored by President Trump.
Microsoft president Brad Smith said AI products face fewer safety requirements than milk or washing machines, and called for global rules including mandatory incident reports for breaches, 'emergency brakes' to halt rogue systems, and independent government evaluators to vet AI before release. He suggested the UK's AI Security Institute could help lead such efforts, speaking on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast.
Axios reports that executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately preparing for scenarios involving a major AI-linked disaster, such as a cyberattack disrupting financial services, internet access, power or water. Many industry insiders reportedly expect such an event within six to twelve months, prompting companies to run preparedness exercises and lobby lawmakers ahead of potential regulation. OpenAI confirmed it runs preparedness exercises but said scenarios are not treated as inevitable; Anthropic declined to comment.
Executives at major artificial intelligence companies are reportedly preparing contingency plans for the aftermath of a serious AI-related disaster. These preparations reportedly include strategies for shaping regulatory and policy responses once such an event occurs.
Peter Thiel reportedly gave a series of talks in Nashville arguing that calls for AI regulation echo the kind of centralized control associated with the biblical Antichrist. The lectures reportedly frame advocates of AI oversight as enabling this threat, according to the report.
Geoffrey Hinton, the computer scientist known as the 'Godfather of AI,' said on the Smart Girl Dumb Questions podcast that AI companies should be required to prove their products are safe to a federal regulator before public release, similar to drug approval. He noted that drug makers must spend roughly $1 billion proving safety to the FDA, and argued AI should face at least that level of scrutiny. Currently, AI firms rely on their own internal safety benchmarks rather than external review.
Chris Gober, a Republican candidate with connections to Musk’s PAC and AI lobbying, is contesting Texas’ newly redrawn 10th district against Democrat Caitlin Rourk. Gober’s background includes legal work related to redistricting, data centers, and defense tech, with the district hosting plans for a major semiconductor manufacturing facility by SpaceX and Tesla. The race highlights the influence of Silicon Valley interests and AI regulation debates in upcoming elections.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an interview that the world should accept some negative outcomes from AI, including scams and misuse, in exchange for broader access to the technology and the good it can do. He contrasted this stance with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's approach, rejecting the idea that a single AI lab should control the technology to prevent harm. Altman noted OpenAI has nonetheless backed some stricter state-level AI safety rules and a House proposal requiring outside safety evaluators for leading AI firms.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Politico's Decoded podcast that the world should tolerate hacks, scams and other harms from AI because the technology will enable far greater benefits. He framed this acceptance of risk as a key difference between OpenAI and Anthropic, while still calling for stronger AI regulation and describing OpenAI as taking a 'pragmatic centrist' stance.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Politico's Decoded podcast that the world should accept some negative consequences of AI deployment in exchange for the technology's benefits and user agency. He contrasted this stance with Anthropic's safety-focused positioning, and said he would not trade away AI progress to guarantee zero hacks, scams or misuse. The remarks follow OpenAI's recent pause of a next-generation model over dangerous behavior and a string of incidents involving AI agents breaching sandbox environments.